Cascade
by Jyn Ryvia
Summary: Add together the choices you make, the environments you're exposed to, and the instincts inherent to your very being and you get the sum of yourself. That doesn't change even if you remember a past life. SI Story.
1. Prologue

Thank to Fullyautomagic and almostinsane for Beta-ing this prologue.

Prologue 

* * *

It was about four months into my new life when I had finally developed good enough eyesight and brain activity to actually understand what had happened to me instead of living like a brain-dead potato in a gray world of muffled noises and numbed sensations.

Which, at the time, felt like a hellish eternity of absolute boredom.

Though I will say that this whole experience has done wonders for my sense of patience and inner harmony, I'm totally zen now. Or maybe just crazy... we'll see eventually.

But anyhow, now that I could finally look around and take stock of things, a picture began to unfold in my mind's eye and I discovered three very important things:

The first was the most obvious of the bunch, and that was the fact I was now apparently once again an infant. I'm fairly sure that the philosophical and religious significance of this will probably impact me at later date, maybe have a minor existential crisis, but for now, I think I'm just grateful that I'm not dead or something.

Or at least not still dead, as I seem to distinctly remember that my last memory before all this with a crossing a road without looking and then hearing a loud honking sound followed by the screeching of brakes. Kind of embarrassing really, though I do wonder why I can still remember things from before.

Since I'm fairly certain that I'm not going to find the answer by asking someone or reading a book I doubt that's it's a question that will ever be answered. Oh well.

But back to my discoveries. The second thing I figured out was that I was in what was probably an orphanage, as there were children of far too many different ages for it to be just a simple nursery.

From what I could see from my crib and the play areas I was allowed in it was a fairly comfortable, if not very big, building and that while not run down as the caretakers did work hard to keep things running, would not have passed a modern safety examination, what with all the blunt, but still fairly hard and pointy toy ninja weapons laying all over the place.

Probably the only things that the chunin caretaker and the genin helpers could think of to get a bunch of kids.

Oh, and that's the last thing I found out, there were ninjas, and Naruto ninjas at that.

Well, either that or I was born into some sort of anime cult where all the adults and some of the kids wear headbands and weird shoe-sandal-things. That theory lost a bit of its credence after the third time one of the genin used their skills to play the most remarkable game of peek-a-boo; I decided that the anime cult theory was probably not very likely.

Might still be in a regular cult though, as I distinctly remember that being a thing in the story… note to self: cult theory needs more investigation before coming to a conclusion.

This does raise some concerns.

While the adventures of everybody's (ok, let's be honest, not everybody's) favorite blonde were very happy ever-aftery, the world of the elemental nations was depicted as pretty violent and unstable. I'm from a place where wars and such are things that happen elsewhere. I don't even know if I have what it takes to be a soldier, a killer. Hell, if I was to get all philosophical and stuff I'd say that I'm probably against it on a cultural and moral level.

But at the same time I'm going to need to be a ninja if I want to not just survive, but thrive.

Despite what some people might think, living is not the only goal in a person's life. It's the big one, sure, but after that people look to other things, other goals that give meaning.

For me, that is my agency and sense of personal worth.

Individualistic and selfish? Probably, but that is what is important to me right now! Might change with new experiences and time.

Who knows? I like to think I'm a complicated person.

Anyways, what this means is that while I have a moral problem with being a ninja, could I really pass up the opportunity to become one? To learn to walk up walls, to spit fire, to functionally have superpowers? It's a hard question and one I'd probably be thinking about and weighing up for a while yet.

And then there was the fact that the path of the ninja is likely the only one that will lead to me having any importance as an individual.

Naruto has always had a weird mix of modern and traditional Japanese culture with a leaning to the traditional, and in the Japan of the past, the peasant was nearly never of significance.

If I ever want to have any impact I will have to be a ninja or be of noble birth, and looking around the packed orphanage the theory that I'm a noble is as unlikely a hypothesis as the anime cult one.

And while I don't have a pressing need to have a big impact on this new world at the moment, the idea that it would be impossible upsets me on some level. I mean, what if I wanted to use my amazing 'future' knowledge to somehow help the up-and-coming (or past? What point in the timeline am I?) Savior of the world along?

'Though that might not be possible." I thought to myself as I look as pointedly as it is possible for an infant at one of the main caretaker's forehead, a black haired, 40ish woman with a wrinkled but otherwise pretty face and a missing arm.

And on that forehead is headband with a plate of metal inscribed with a symbol of which I do not remember.

* * *

hello everyone, this is my first proper attempt at a story. The next bit is will drop later today or tomorrow after a quick touch up and when or if i can get a beta reader to look over it.


	2. Chapter 1 updated

thanks to RogueDruid and almostinsane for beta-ing this part of the story.

Edited:

* * *

I was a little over a year old when I finally started taking my first steps, which I must say was a great relief as while I logically knew that it should have taken that long, I was still starting to get a bit worried. Quite frankly, I was relieved that I finally had that bit of independence.

I also found out between now and when I first became 'aware' that I was not, in fact, staying in an orphanage, or at least it was not only an orphanage, but also a place where single shinobi or kunoichi parents could drop the kids off for very long periods of time.

As every so often an objectively beautiful woman with long thick brown hair, a pale round face with gentle dark eyes, and a strange Hitai-ate would come to pick me up and take me to her apartment, a tiny soft smile pulling at the corners of her lips.

The handful of times she came to pick me up, she was usually wearing a flak vest, a dark blue version without the shoulder guards of the ones found in Leaf along with the typical black under-suit and pants combo.

And when I say a handful of times, I meant a handful, I think that the for the first year of my life I might have spent a total of maybe four weeks at her apartment and the rest of the time back at the orphanage or, well, I guess I can't call it that anymore... How about the 'Institution'?

Anyway, I spent more time in the Institution than I did with her and honestly I'm kind of glad of it. I don't think I'm attached to her very much, and it might be a mutual feeling.

That's not to say she was some horrible puppy kicking monster or something... but...

It started out normal: when she came to pick me up it was all excited babble and cuddling and baby-talk that meant nothing to me. There were two words that she kept on repeating that I could pick out. The first was what I remembered as Japanese for mother, useful to know. And the second was the word "Shou-chan", what I'm guessing is my name.

And when we got back to her place, she didn't do a thing wrong: she fed me, changed me, rocked me back to sleep when I woke up, the works. And all with that smile never leaving her face.

I think that is when I first noticed she never actually got fed up. I was still a baby doing baby things like screaming my head off all hours of the day and night. Pretty sure even the most experienced of parents would start to get stressed after the 4th night being woken up every two hours or so.

But nope, the same look on her face, as if she's just going through a motion.

I then began to notice during my stays with her that while she checked on me often, the timing had a very mechanical feel, as if she set an egg timer to go off at set periods and as soon as she was done with whatever she had to do, she could go off and forget about me until the next buzz.

And I think the last big hint was that she never hesitated when it came time to drop me back off at the Institution. She would just walk back to the building, bring me up to her face that still had that headband marked with two lines running vertically through the centre that juts out to either side at the end as if to make an arrow pointing down, then say something that I assume means "be a good boy for mommy", kiss me on the forehead, and then dumping me in the arm of the caretaker before taking off without a second look.

I think that to her I was an obligation that she was pretty fond of, but that she had no real maternal instinct for.

* * *

So apparently Shou Fujimori is my full name. it's one of the first things I learned in the four years since I was born into Takigakure: The Village Hidden in the Waterfall.

And I am currently reconsidering my opinion about being in a cult.

As I am now old enough that I can now walk around comfortably, brush my teeth, use the 'big boy toilet' and speak more than one to three word sentences (something that I did not have to pretend, as I've been having a worrying difficulty in picking up the language, despite my best efforts.) Sawada-sensei, the one-armed caretaker from before, has decided that it was time for me to join the morning classes set up for the older kids.

The 'classroom' is actually a bunch of desks and wooden benches set out in the back of the institution facing a bigger desk with a roll-down board on the back wall and a great canvas to block rain and provide shade, depending on the situation. Not because of any budget reasons. It's just that Takigakure seems to have a very "open air" sort of culture with a lot of patios and open air rooms for the richer clans. A good rule of thumb was 'If a wall or window is not needed, it's not going to be there.' (Which is a weird way of thinking when the whole place is built into a giant, enclosed hole in a cliff face. Maybe it's because of this that we like open spaces when we can? Whatever.)

It's not like the weather ever really gets that bad here thanks to the incredibly thick tree canopy.

"It was then, as the vicious Kumo ninja was about to raid the small poor village on the border with fire country for supplies to continue their attacks on the Leaf, that Kamiya-sama, the then Head Jounin of the village sprung his trap!" Kubo-sensei stretched his fingers out as if to grab the group of children as he said the last bit. "The Kumo ninja were routed, and Kamiya-sama was praised for his ingenious plan by both Takigakure's allies and enemies alike, especially by the Konoha ninja who in their time of weakness were showed that we were their most trustworthy allies."

I am currently learning about how Takigakure is the greatest place ever with the nicest people and everywhere else sucks and that we are so lucky to be born in the only truly safe place in the world, except maybe Konoha, or maybe Konoha was the worst place. It really depended on Kubo-sensei's mood or what part of history we were talking about.

It seems Taki's relationship with our bigger ally is a bit complicated, at least on our side of things.

On one hand, it seems that people think that our long-lasting alliance with Konoha is the main reason for our prosperity compare to the other villages of our size.

But on the other hand, people also see Konoha as an oppressive force that is keeping Takigakure from getting too strong so as to stay in control, blaming them when something unexpected happens and there is no obvious culprit.

The other big point is how safe the village is compared to the rest of the world and how it's up to everyone to keep it that way, though seeing as Takigakure has never been successfully invaded, I guess that's a fair thing to be proud of.

Anyway, outside of these riveting 'history' (Read: blatant propaganda) lessons, we were going through the basics of what all somewhat civilized cultures are based on: learning to read, write and count.

Counting was not a problem. For some reason beyond my understanding, this world uses Hindu-Arabic numerals… despite there being no India.

So many questions.

But at least basic math is never going to be a problem in this life.

But reading and writing... I don't think I have to worry about people thinking I'm too smart for my age and whisk me away to be interrogated because not only has it taken me longer than average to learn to speak the language to an acceptable level for my age, but my reading and writing…

I'm behind, not ridiculously so as I've been working hard at it, more than anyone else, but noticeably.

Maybe my memories make it so that I don't get that boost in learning ability that really young children get or it's because it's my second language and those are supposed to be harder, but I am definitely starting to get old anxieties and worries over this returning.

Outside of the basics of academia, we spent most of our time doing physical activities: games, sports or just straight up conditioning. Nothing you wouldn't see outside of a properly done gym class from my old world. Just more of it. Every day.

The more 'ninja-like' training seems to be left for when you turn six (and it will start; not being a ninja in a ninja village that shuns the outside world to the point of actually being _hidden_ is 'frowned upon' if you're able-bodied) or at your parent's discretion, and Ayaka-san (mother) said to not to worry about it yet when I asked her the last time I saw her. She only said that it would be a better to wait a little longer. So maybe the family's technique can't be taught early.

Or she is too busy right now to teach me.

Or she is just not arsed to make time.

Still can't read her. Kind of hard when her regular everyday expressions range from 'tiny soft happy smile' to 'tiny soft polite smile'.

Oh, it looks like the lesson is moving away from 'how Takigakure and Konohagakure were such great allies in the last big war' to 'how Konohagakure was so awful for giving this really important deal to Sunagakure instead of us.' Better start paying attention again or I'll get something semi-hard thrown at me. It seems to be the universal punishment in this world for spacing out.

* * *

Thanks for reading


	3. Chapter 2 updated

thanks to Exter, KyuubiNoPuma, Vox De Harlequin, cezyou and farren55 for helping with this part. Edited:

I don't own Naruto.

* * *

"Good luck Shou-Nii!" the little redhead shouted from the back of the group. His smile was bright as the yellow t-shirt he never took off.

"Thanks, Gaku-kun."

"I should be allowed to be doing ninja training too!" this came from the proud brat on the left. His long brown bangs covered his eyes, but not his scowl.

"Now, now, Hiroya-kun, you'll start when you're six like everyone else, so just wait a bit and I'll see you there."

"Please don't go Shou-nii…" was the barely audible sniffling coming from the smallest in the group. Her black ponytail was looking more like it belonged to a sad dog than a miniature horse.

"Hey Airi-chan, don't cry," I said as I kneeled down to give her a hug. "I'll come visit lots ok? You'll barely miss me"

I was six years old now, and this week was important for two reasons.

First was that I was finally old enough to start the village's standard shinobi training. I don't know if calling it the 'Academy' was correct. It was probably going to be a lot smaller and less institutionalized than what was set up in Konoha as depicted in the manga, because the population was smaller.

I was starting on the first day of next week, and I have to say that I was pretty excited. Wouldn't you be? Superpowers!

Ayaka-san had also decided that it was time to start passing down the family's skills, though the way she said it made me think that there was probably not going to be much in the way of secret super ninjutsu techniques. I guess that's fair, not every family can have weird eye powers or mind control tricks. I shouldn't have assumed that I would just happen to be born into one that does.

"Promise?" and here Airi-chan used her puppy-dog-eyes and lip-quiver, her best one-two combo.

"Of course!" I said as I messed up her hair affectionately, something I know she both hated and loved. "I'll just be on another side of the village, not Wind country."

This lead to the second reason why this week was going to be an important one, and why I was currently surrounded by a group of little well-wishers. I'm about to finally move in with Ayaka-san permanently.

It was actually something that was in the works for a while now. I've been bringing more and more of my stuff over with me during visits and leaving them there. This was the final load so to speak. Ayaka-san now had everything sorted out on her side of things.

Apparently, the reason why she never seemed to be in the village was because there were a series of long-term missions outside of the village that had all been marked as hers. I didn't know the details (confidential, obviously), but she had to wait for the current round of her 'contract time' to expire before I could move in. Now that the contract was up, she had negotiated the new one so that she could spend longer than a few days a month in the village now for the next few years.

The group that surrounded me was made up of most of the younger 'long-term' residents at the institution; the actually orphaned or the all-but-abandoned.

For those little people, I may very well have been the closest thing to an older sibling that they will know. As to why I'm 'Big Brother' to all the younger kids instead of one of the others around my age or who were a little older and who had already gone…

It probably had something to do with the fact that, with my calmer disposition than most children at my age (from not being a child), the caretakers tended to give me tasks requiring more responsibility or put me in charge of group projects or, when things are really busy, even keep an eye on some of the youngest ones.

And well, in the logic of young children: 'responsibility' plus 'being in charge' plus being 'older' equals 'The Big Brother'... obviously.

Not that I minded, I was actually very used to being the older sibling from before, not just for my own little brother and sister, but also a bunch of younger cousins who were always around for one reason or another. Looking out for the other kids in the institution was actually pretty calming in a old routines in a new place sort of way.

I had to admit, I was pretty fond of the little bastards. I was going to miss them a bit, but they were way overblowing this. I guess from their perspective this was a big thing, but Takigakure was a fairly small place, with little to no interaction with the outside and no new faces, we were going to be seeing each other all the time.

I was just finishing up saying my goodbyes to everyone when Sawada-sensei gave me a look from where she was standing by the gate, the one she used when she wanted to talk to one of us alone, so with one last farewell I picked up my luggage and made my way over to her.

Sawada-sensei looked pretty much the same as she did all those years ago when I first laid eyes on the one-armed woman and the headband she was sporting. She was still very healthy and attractive for a woman of her age, though there were now more wrinkles around her eyes and her hair was as silver as it was black nowadays. They were the main signs that being in charge of this place was tiring her down. She looked at me and gave me her usual tight but not unkind smile.

"Do you have everything?"

"I think so" I replied. "I left some of my smaller clothes for the share box, but otherwise I'm good."

"That was nice of you. Hopefully you will continue to be helpful to your mother as you were here. Keep working hard; you've come a long way despite your… difficulties."

It became obvious over time that my worries about my reading and writing were well founded; I was dyslexic… again.

And this time I was not in a world where learning disabilities were well understood, supported or even really sympathised with. In a world where geniuses were glorified those that have difficulties are usually just labelled a bit dumb and told to just study harder.

Kubo-sensei had all but given up. To be fair to him he had tried, but he was never a teacher to begin with, just a person who was given the job and had to teach a room full of children who were at different levels.

He could not devote all his time to just me. He did not really understand how I could be completely fine with some subjects like math or how I remember everything he talked about in History class, and yet still had difficulty with remembering words that those one or two years younger had started to get. By the end he was even more frustrated than me.

By age five I had gotten desperate. Gaining the ability to read English fluently (and write functionally at least) was my proudest achievement in that last life, and books, once a torture, became something that I had fallen in love with. The thought of losing that here was unacceptable. So I ended up begging the caretakers to give me extra lessons; something that with their already busy schedules, most were unwilling to do.

Except for Sawada-sensei, who was the busiest of the lot.

It wasn't perfect. She was strict and would not let me stop until she was satisfied with my progress. She was also still a strong believer in negative reinforcement. (I now had little scarring on my hand and a hatred of rulers.)

But she kept with me, never let herself show frustration. While it was hard to tell with her stern expression, I think she got as happy as me whenever I made some progress.

And for that, she had my gratitude and respect.

I was still having problems (will for years with reading, probably forever with writing), but I can manage for what's expected of me… for now.

"You are a smart boy, don't let yourself forget that." Her gaze got a little harder. "If you become lazy and waste all my work I will be mad; do you understand?"

"I'll keep working, count on it," I said back immediately "I can't thank you enough for looking after me… and…giving me a chance. I'll return the favour one day; I promise."

"Huh, ridiculous, I was doing my job. You owe me nothing," and with that, she walked away.

As I started walking to my new (old?) home, I thought that maybe she left like that so I wouldn't see her tear up… and then I remember what she was like and threw that idea out the window.

* * *

"So if your male client is nervous of an attack during travel between two locations. How would you go about calming them down? The journey will take about a week. And please pass the sauce." Asked Ayaka-san as she started to work on her breakfast of grilled fish, rice, miso soup, and pickles.

"Um, it depends on how likely an attack is? Telling him he was perfectly safe only to run across some bandits will just make him mad at you."

"An excellent point Shou-chan, but not an answer."

I took a sip of my miso soup as I thought about it.

"… Keep asking him about what he plans to do when he gets there, use language that implies that he being there is a foregone conclusion… if he stays nervous, ask him to do small tasks like looking after the fire? Distract him with busy hands."

"The first part was very good Shou-chan, assuming that you are allowed to know the client's plans, that's often not the case so don't assume. But the second part is not so good, while some people calm down when their busy others get clumsy when they are nervous, and mistakes can make a stressed person frustrated… but that's just a small thing, the bigger problem is asking the client to do work, because while that is fine with a lot of people, others will take offence at being told to do something by the hired help, and this becomes more common as the social standing of the client rises." She took another bite before continuing "so how about this; you spot your target in a pub, and you have a month to make them like you enough to offer you a job with their Employer who you need to steal important documents from. How do you approach…"

This morning scenario building had become a regular part of my days living with Ayaka-san, as it was the first part of my training in the 'family skills' and the one skill she has said is often more important than many would think.

Basically, it's the skill of conversation… or maybe first impressions?

The idea was that most people decide whether they like someone or not in their first interaction with that person, often within the first second, and coming off as likeable can be an enormous advantage.

It can make clients more manageable and create a web of contacts.

It can get you close to people of interest.

It can get teammates who you had just meet to listen to you.

And people can be strangely stubborn with keeping with their initial impression, and you can use that to get away with stuff, remember those popular girls/guys in school who were complete arseholes that did things that would have everyone hating them if they were someone else, but everyone 'lets it slide' cus it was them? Or those Lovable Rogue types on TV? It was that effect.

Weirdly the most important part was not to be too friendly… at least for the situation or environment, just being a personable acquaintance was most of the time the best outcome for the first contact. It gave you space to work into the best relationship for your needs.

Unless you had observed the target for some time or have a pre-made psychological profile on hand, you didn't know how someone will react to overt attempts to get close to them; if it's unwanted, it can be as bad as being a dick to someone.

From how Ayaka-san talked about it, I think she sees that type of getting close to someone (and outright seduction I assume, that topic had not been brought up yet, I'm six) as slapdash and amateurish: More likely to fail than to succeed.

Real manipulation was something done over time.

We did a few more of these before the conversation turned towards today's events.

'Are you looking forward to school Shou-chan? Your first day is an important step for any young man." She said as she got up and headed into the kitchen to prepare lunch boxes for both of us, hers for work and mine for school. The cabinets were now full, unlike in the past where they were always empty when I visited and we would have to go and get take-out.

"Ya, it'll be fun, I can't wait to do some of the stuff you and the other ninja can do. When do they teach us to run and jump super fast?" the shinobi always looked like they are having a blast when they did that.

"Sorry hun" she called out from the counter. "You won't be able to do that until you're using chakra, and they won't be starting that for a bit." Ayaka-san said as she gave me 'small smile No:4'. She then put the bento box into my bag next to my school supplies and handed it to me.

"Now off with you. And remember what I told you?"

"Don't make lots of close friends right away, get a feel for what the different groups will be like and then worm my way into the ones that are best… but don't be unfriendly, or I won't be getting into any group." I somehow said with a straight face… must be getting used to her way of thinking.

"Oh, you learn so quickly! I don't know what they were saying, you're a genius." She gave me a tight squeezing hug as if what I said was absolutely adorable and not a little sociopathic. "Have a good day Shou-chan."

"You too mother." was my quick reply, a little uncomfortable with how long the hug lasted before it ended.

And with that, I'm out the door.

* * *

When I walked through the village I couldn't help but compare it to that one filler (OVA?) which was set there, and just how wrong they got things.

Some things were the same: the village lay in a crater near a cliff with an almost impossibly thick canopy. Predictably, there was a large waterfall on that cliff which hid the underwater cave system. That was the only way into the other thing they got right was the big ass tree in the middle of the lake in the centre of the village, with a small pavilion where the village hid the Hero's Water.

But what they really got wrong was the scale of the place, in the anime the population looked like it might have been 100 people at most, and the place was made up of a handful of huts and cottages; this was not the case. While not one of the big dog villages like the Leaf and even the Sand, Hidden Waterfall still had an active ninja force that fluctuated around two thousand strong in peace time, there was no way that a group of three jounin could hope to take and subdue the place.

Maybe members of the Akatsuki or the Sannin, but not some random missing-nin.

A large military force naturally led to a relatively large urban area that circled 3/4ths of the lake, made up of family and clan housing, as well as apartment complexes such as the one I live in. Beside these were administrative buildings, supply deposits, blacksmiths and the hospital; they all came together to make a busy and lively community. The last fourth of the lake and the outer rims of the village was made up of gardens, training fields and other open areas. The village kept these in order to provide some form of open space in the otherwise somewhat cramp setting.

The one thing that was perhaps missing were shops and restaurants — there was a distinct lack of direct trade into the village — but that was more than made up for by the people. On a good morning or evening entrepreneurs would set up stalls outside their houses and proceed to sell their own cooking, goods they brought back after missions, or offer some form of entertainment; some days the village would feel like it spontaneously burst into a festival.

"Finally," I thought, "is that the anime could not capture the beauty of the village." I passed an old woman working an oven, producing a type of karipap filled with chicken and potatoes in a deep-fried shell, the curry so thick it's oozing out of the snack. The smell and sight of the food were totally different from an image, even a moving one. Probably a deficiency of the medium: the sunlight through the thick canopy painting everything in colours of soft greens and blues during the day, the rich warm reds and yellows of the clouds during dawn and dusk, all of these were irreproducible through cel-shading or even painting. The buildings, made of strong woods and red clay baked tiled rooms, gave the place a feeling similar to a quiet and sleepy Southeast Asian countryside.

Then there was the lake at the centre of everything, always calm and clear enough to see to the bottom of that you can stare out into half a day just contemplating life, and the great tree, that spread up and covered everything like a protective mother embracing its young. While the nationalist propaganda can often get a bit much, it really is not hard to see why the people of the waterfall see this place as a secret paradise in this cruel world.

As I finished my musing, I finally arrived at the edge of the village, where one of the largest buildings was situated right next to where most of the training fields were, about three stories tall and much wider. It was otherwise unfeatured and actually a bit as the main training centre of the village, it will also be the place I would be spending most of my days for the next few years.

"Ok e-everyone find a seat, no-no, it doesn't matter who is next to you, j-just sit-down!" yelled a short greying be-speckled man of a shockingly anxious disposition. He was in the process of trying to get fifteen to twenty excited children to stay still for more than two seconds: a daunting task for any man. "I-Is that everyone? Good, Good." He then stood in front of the classroom under the chalkboard, rubbing his hands together nervously.

If this is what he is like in the first ten minutes of the year, he's going to die of child-induced heart-failure in about 2 weeks. Slightly uncharitable to think, I guess. I found my seat somewhere in the middle of the row, next to a slightly lanky boy and a girl so normal and nondescript looking it was extraordinary. You know? I can't really believe I'm sitting here, learning to be a contract killer, and actually being excited by the idea, to the point that I'm finding fidgeting in my seat anxious for him to get on with it. The difference in environment I guess….And the promise of power. "Mhahaha," I said under my breath. Then I looked around, hoping no one noticed. Satisfied that no one noticed my momentary insanity I returned my attention back to the front of the room as Sensei as went on.

"My name is Hiraoka Takeo, and for the next 6 or so years I will be in charge of your core training. Please call me Sensei. It will be my job to make sure you have a good grounding in ninjutsu, taijutsu and genjutsu as well as other basic skills expected of genin such as the use of weapons and survival." To give him credit, despite still looking a bit twitchy, his voice was strong and clear with no stuttering once he started lecturing.

"Outside of me there will be others who will be helping out on rotation, they are all here voluntarily,"—yeah right, while some probably have joined willingly, some will definitely be 'Volunteered' as a punishment or something—"and so are happy to help you," Sensei then wrote something on the board, but as it was kind of complicated I just copied it in my note-pad without reading it, to figure out later, and instead just listened. "But anything they might teach you outside of the mandatory curriculum will be at their discretion, and it will be up to you to go up to them and convince them."

"So with that said! Let's start this class with an overview of what we will be going over for the next semester." Hiraoka-sensei finished his little speech and then started to teach in earnest.

While the teacher organized some papers and quelled a few rebellious children, I considered what he'd said. I scratched the side of my head, messing up my brown hair as I do; a bad habit when I'm thinking about something. So if we want to learn more than the basics we will need to find our own teachers, family or otherwise? And I'm guessing it's going to be harder than just going up to them and asking if they're not part of your clan. Is it a holdover from the more master and apprentice style of the past? Or is this just part of the training? Search and obtain.

I smile a bit at this. For most people, having set courses you can join would be superior, but with my problems, the more that moves away from essay writing and texts the better. I doubt most ninja will be setting exams for what they are teaching one on one.

Soon enough though class began, with him talking to the class as a whole and writing on the blackboard about what this semester covered. Mostly it was making sure the students knew the basics: ninja-applicable mathematics, science, and geography, and then — I'd hoped these last things wouldn't be there, but had expected it so just resigned myself — reading and writing like before.

However, on top of that were the distinctly shinobi lessons such as learning the shinobi code, an introduction to tactics and strategy, and the basic theory behind chakra and how to activate it.

A hand shot up, breaking the the flow of the class and drawing every eye. This hand was attached to a rough looking, orange haired boy with a strong brow, giving him by default a serious, directed expression. He was squinting up at Hiraoka-sensei as if annoyed.

Sensei blinked.

"U-um, sorry w-what was you name a-again?" And as if a spell was dispelled, he started to look as nervous as he did at the start of class, as if there was some difference between talking at the class and talking to someone.

"Nijimura Josuke."

"A-Ah, yes. What is the q-question?

"What if you know all this?" Josuke said, "Dad taught me how to use chakra already, I don't need to learn that stuff." He was practically puffing out his chest at this, looking around in that way that small children did when they believe they did or said something great and now were waiting for someone to tell them how amazing they are.

"W-While that is very good Josuke-kun, most of the other c-children did not have an early start, you will j-just have to wait." Sensei gives him a little watery smile, "B-besides, going over things has never h-hurt anyone."

The brat just went a little red in the face and glowered at that.

The rest of the day was nothing to write home about: most of the class time was just introducing the subjects. After that we went outside and had a physical review. I was mostly running races, wall climbs, long jumping, etc. Basically any type of activity where we competed with each other, and could be compared.

And I did pretty well against most of the other kids. This body was tall for a six year old and long-limbed, the type that you would see on someone good at athletics like sprinting and basketball. I came out as one of the top of the class in all events.

Josuke with his chakra won everything by a landslide; but I don't think that really counts.

He was still real proud of himself, to my annoyance whenever he started rubbing it in rest of our faces. I shouldn't be mad, he's a basically a kid who had a good sports day, and I'm an adult (in mind) who did fine...But obnoxious is still obnoxious.

At the end of the day I walked out of the building with the rest to find a group of parents waiting to pick up the kids from the first day of school. I was a little surprised to find Ayaka-san there as well, in a light yukata garment instead of her usual uniform when working, with her long brown hair worn loose. She must have gotten off early at...whereever it is that she started working while in the village.

As I walked closer and looked around, I could not help noticing how much younger she looked compared to some of the other parents. She was probably still in her late teens when I was born.

When I got to her, she didn't say anything. She just gave me small smile No. #12 and held out her hand for me to take; after a small hesitation, I did. We then walked home together in a — not totally — awkward silence.

After a quick dinner, I just ended up messing around for a bit, not having anything to do. It was starting to get dark before I decided to bite the bullet, getting up from my spot by the window facing the lake I head into the living room looking for Ayaka-san.

I found her where I expected to, sitting at the main table, one of those low ones where you sit on a cushion rather than a chair. She was reading from a scroll. I made a questioning noise to get her attention, trying to think out my question.

"Yes?" She said looking up at me with a questioning look.

"Uh, I was wondering…" I feel surprisingly nervous about this, but try to get on with it. "I have some notes I took in class, but didn't really read them, just copied the kanji from the board. Could you… um… read them with me? Just need a little help with figuring some of them out."

She just gave me one of her little smiles, but I think I saw some amusement mixed in there this time. But she just patted the cushion next to her a couple of times before saying, "That's fine, Shou-chan. Go get them and we can start in a minute. I just need to finish this up, okay?"

By the time I got back the scroll was gone, despite my only taking 30 seconds or so, and she was waiting there as pristine and proper as she always was.

And so as I sat down, we started what would soon become the second daily routine that we share.

Thanks for reading


	4. Chapter 3 updated

thanks to Cezyou and Exter for beta'ing

Don't own Naruto

* * *

 _"Close in, arms up, take the hit and return it,"_ I thought as I moved, rushing forward as soon as Sensei yelled to start, Using my slightly bigger body to push into my smaller opponent as if to drive him out of the ring. My opponent strike out with their fist, but like most beginner's panicked from the sudden pressure and forgot his technique, it was a wild swing with no form or weight. It hit my left shoulder and stung, but that was it.

Straight away my left, the lead hand, came up and around, bending in a horizontal arc towards his head as I twisted my hips and torso into the hit, shifting my weight to my lead foot and pivoting on it all at once.

My heavy _Lead Hook_ slammed into his chin, undefended as his left arm was still straight and away from his body after his last punch, another beginner mistake.

He hit the sand and stayed there crying just a little bit, the entire spar lasted less than two seconds, but all I felt was the stinging in the knuckles of my index and middle finger and a sickness in my stomach over the whole thing.

How the hell can I feel good about decking a child, even if I was technically one too?

"And the winner is Fujimori Shou!" Sensei said loudly so the whole class could hear. "Now t-the both of you come to the c-centre and make the seal of reconciliation."

I walked back to the centre of the ring, a sand-covered Square at the back of the training centre that was smaller than any other sparing area around, probably made just for the youngest trainees. My opponent, a young boy I had not really talked to yet finally got up from the ground and scuffled over, my soft brown eyes meet his darker, still watery ones. And while we did join fingers in this world version of a 'good match handshake' it was easy to tell he was still upset, maybe more from shame that he had lost so fast instead of the pain in his jaw. I gave him my best smile and a little encouragement before we started heading back to our spots on the sideline, but I was sure that this one would have to be chalked up as a failed first impression. Ayaka-san would be disappointed.

But she'll just have to live with it, I'm was not going to make those awful spars last longer than they had to, and not just because hitting kids was not fun.

As we both sit down Hiraoka-sensei begins to speak, this time in what I have begun to call his 'confident mode' that he entered when he was 'teaching' instead of 'talking'.

"Rokuro-kun, you have been doing very well in practice, but once you start sparring you tend to lose your focus, this was a big example, you need to keep your form no matter how much your opponent is pushing you. It is, however, something you can only break with more experience, so just keep working hard."  
Rokuro just nodded and then looked down.

He then turned to me. "Excellent aggression as usual Shou-kun, and you kept your guard up at all times. But you still have that bad habit of letting yourself get hit instead of trying to dodge or block just so you can get through your opponents guard. You need to get out of that habit soon, just because it is working right now doesn't mean it's a good strategy. If Rokuro-kun had a Kunai on him that exchange would have gone differently." he ended things there with a stern stare, to convey the severity of what he said to me, before turning back to the crowd "Now would…", done with his piece he moved straight on to calling up the next group to fight.

And the other reason I was trying to keep the matches short was that it was easier to make it look like I'm just a good brawler that way. And not that I know what I'm doing.

Well OK, 'knowing what I'm doing' might be a bit strong, even in that past life I hadn't done any amateur boxing since I left college, let alone the six years I've been here, my technique was terrible by this point. That hook was so miss-timed and disjointed it was more of a wild haymaker then a hook.

And let's not forget that there was a _big bloody difference_ between a contact-sport and an actual fighting system meant to hurt and kill like the one they are starting to teach us over the last three weeks, and that's a difference I should remember.

Not to say all the fights were like the last one, some of the others have had some training as well and were harder to deal with, those longer fights where a lot more tricky to 'fake' things, I mostly did it by keeping my feet flat and planted and avoiding the more 'skill' based ways of defending like _the bob and weave_ and _slipping_.

The scariest fight I've had yet was actually with that 'extraordinarily-ordinary' looking girl I had sat next to on the first day. Whatever her family specialised in, it has something to do with grappling, and with breaking whatever they grab onto.

Thought she was going to rip my leg right off that one time she got me on the ground.

But even the trained kids don't have my experience in being punched in the face, and the fact that I haven't had a loss yet showed it.

As I was musing about all of this had a looked around the field rather than paid much mind to the fight, what I spied was something that was turning into a pretty usual sight.

Sitting down on the other side of the ring on his own in a tight closed off ball was Nijimura Josuke, sulking and looking more and more frustrated as he was once again only allowed to sit in the stands and watch.

There were actually quite a lot of exercises where he was separated from the group or simply not allowed to do. The other side of being ahead of us I guess, but for such a headstrong kid being denied his chance to show off must be torture; It was kind of sad really.

Well, it would be sad if it was not for how he has been dealing with his frustrations.

It was not that he spent his time going around and telling people to 'give me your lunch money' or something cliché like that.

But he was quick to pick a fight with anyone over anything or yelled and glare at people if they say anything he didn't like, but it was ok for him to say what he liked about others, most in the class are too intimated to stand up to him so he usually got away with what he wanted. The 'Boss' bully of the class so to speak.

I don't actually think he realises he was bullying, just a loud and headstrong personality with no-one to reel him in. but that might have just make it worst.

"The winner is!" Sensei yelled out a name as my attention was brought back to the present, It seemed that the match ended with one of the fighters falling out of the ring by accident. Not the greatest showing for a future super-ninja.

But what can you expect? It's been barely three weeks of training for most, what was a surprise was that we were sparing at all, you don't just learn a technique after one lesson, no matter how simple.

No, even the simplest of kicks and punches need time and practise for your body to learn and get comfortable with. Yet we were thrown into sparing matches from day one, I couldn't help but think the goal here was not to teach us, not yet anyway, but for us to get used to fighting.

The rest of the matches went by me in a bored blur, some were better than others, but it was hard to stay caring when you're not really invested in who wins.

I had taken Ayaka-san advice about not getting too friendly until I'd see what the cliques are going to be, but not for the reasons she would have wanted. I sighed as I look at the crowd around me, while I liked kids in a 'need to look after them' way or as little sibling figures, I just couldn't see this bunch as peers, in hanging out with them all day by choice.

I noticed that everyone was starting to get up and preparing to leave, so class must have been over for the day, academics was done in the morning while the physical stuff is in the afternoon, at this point we were free to go.

As I was heading home I noticed that Josuke was giving my direction a quick glare before he headed off the other way.

* * *

 _... sometime later..._

"So hot," I groaned into my book: "'A Basic History of the Warring Clans Period: We Were the Good Guys' edition." I was slumped in my seat in the middle of the room. While it had gotten hotter this last week, I thought it was still chilly enough for my usual hoodie, a simple gray thing with a yin-yang on the breast. But I had miscalculated how much worse it would be after an hour or two in a room with over twenty people, and now I was dying.

As Hiraoka-sensei droned on, all I could do was sink lower in my desk. I couldn't even move to take the hoodie off since it would have drawn attention to me and this is one of the classes where I want the least attention.

"Saori-chan, could y-you continue from here?" asked Sensei. The 'extraordinarily-ordinary' girl herself stood up and began to read the chapter on the great food shortages of Stone, which had then led to the first recorded clashes between clans.

God, I hated this kind of class, what was the point? It wasn't like we learned more this way.

"Rokuro-kun could you g-go next?" Saori sat back down and Rokuro started his muttering.

See? If someone didn't speak up properly then no one could understand and then if someone wasn't following things with the book, they might miss something. The teacher should have just done it.

"Nanase-chan?"

And it was still so bloody hot, maybe I should have just pretended I was sick today. I could have spent my time right now drinking ice tea on the balcony at home instead of being here.

"Shou-kun."

 _"Crap."_ And here we were.

I stood up, lifted my book up to chest height and stared down at the page, waiting for the second it took for the words to start to take shape. Meanwhile, I was just trying to pretend that no one was looking at me so much. Luckily the wording in the book was pretty simple. Unluckily, trying to read and speak at the same time just makes everything harder.

"I-it was at this time…that, that the L-Leadr, Leader! Of the…Ne-ko-mara...? Clan d-decided to join with the Uchiha as…um, vessels? Subjects? Uh…" I eventually managed that much. But for the next five minutes or so I had to continue slowly and painfully muddling my way through about a page of the book as everyone, teacher and student alike watching and listening.

After I had taken twice as long to read a third as much of what the others had read, Sensei took pity on me.

"That was...g-good S-Shou-kun. You can sit down now. Could Aki-kun continue from here?" Sensei said this with a strained smile and a little sweat on his forehead. I did not know if both were just his usual self or from what just happened. I couldn't really tell or care right then.

I sat back down and, taking the chance now that hiding was pointless, ripped the hoodie off. This left me in my white t-shirt. Then I just huddled around my book and avoided looking around me.

That really shouldn't have bothered me. There was no reason to care what a bunch of kids think, but I still had that old feeling of shame. I untangled my fingers from the hood in my lap. I must have been fidgeting with it absentmindedly. A touchy subject will always be a touchy subject no matter the context.

In some ways, this was even worse now that I knew what it was like not to have to go through it regularly. Like a prisoner who had gotten used to things outside having to suddenly do another stay in the joint.

"It's not that bad," was the only thought I could muster in response, but sitting here I still felt trapped, embarrassed and frustrated. I wanted to leave or lash out, but that was childish and wouldn't make things better. Knowing that about myself and my own responses just made me feel more frustrated and trapped and not knowing what to do about it.

I thought about a conversation I had with Ayaka-san recently.

This conversation took place in the middle of last weekend during our personal training time. Just about when I started getting the hang of the theory behind the 'art of conversation', even if my application was not exactly masterful.

 _"It's an important thing to remember Shou-chan," Ayaka says, lounging on the other side of the table from me, once again in that kimono she prefers to wear when not in her uniform. "It's going to be impossible to be in a good mood every day, and going to be even more impossible to like or even stand every client or target."_

 _"But whether or not you're in the mood will never matter during a mission. So no excuses, Shou-chan, you hear me?" She gives me a faux-angry look and little smile Nr. 3 as she says this. This one was a little less cheery than some of her more common picks, and a little more serious. "You're just going to have to change your mood or your opinion on someone, by force if necessary."_

 _I actually give her a bit of a look when she says that last part._

 _"Uh, mother?" I let a bit of confusion leak into my voice. "I don't think most people can just change how they think or feel just like that, they're kind of, well, how someone thinks and feels."_

 _"Oh no," she chirps. She kind of perks up as the conversation changes topics. Nr. 3 to Nr. 11. "It's really easy! Look I'll show you." She starts to lean in and smile a bit wider. Nr. 11, 1st variation. Like music, the score doesn't change between performances. "The first thing you do..."_

Breathe slowly in, then breathe out.

Imagine yourself floating in a void with nothing but darkness around you.

Now imagine in front of you a dot of light; it slowly widens into a circular hole in the darkness just in front of you.

Then take all of the frustration, the shame, the heat and the anxiety as physical things that slowly gather into a ball in your hand.

finally simply drop the ball into the hole and watch it and the hole suddenly disappear.

 _Breathe in, breathe out._

"Now where was I?" I relaxed back into my seat and go back to listening to the class, my problems now out of mind.

* * *

History class ended soon after, and we started on something a little bit more stimulating: chakra theory.

We started by moving all the desks and chairs into one corner and then we all gathered into a circle around a crossed legged Sensei sitting in the middle.

As I sat myself down and crossed my legs like everyone else, the boy on my left passed me one of the marble shaped crystals that we held in our hands as we tried to feel out our chakra. These little marbles lit up when in contact with even the slightest concentration of chakra above some sort of the baseline.

The exercise we were currently on was the first step past the basic exercises they showed us to bring out our physical and mental energy. After that we combined them to form chakra, and then pushed that chakra to our hands. A task easier said than done, as only two of the students other then Josuke had ever managed it, but had not yet repeated the feat.

Mostly we sat and meditated while contemplating our navels. No, seriously, chakra was supposed to gather there.

Not that I minded the practise. While in the past I had always found things like meditation as being too boring when there are other things to do, like TV or the Internet, the slower-paced and easygoing nature of my new home let me start to appreciate the practice.

Though the bad part of being alone with your thoughts was that you have to start thinking about things, like what exactly "Fujimori Shou" would do with his new lease on life. I mean obviously, I'm going to be a shinobi, and it will be smart to train hard, since it is a high-risk job, but it's not like I have to worry about some big problem over the horizon. Waterfall didn't even participate in the Fourth Shinobi War so I can avoid that mess altogether.

I kind of feel like I had no real reason to be here or any overreaching goal I was meant to achieve. Just pointlessly floating in the stream and going with the flow.

But then again isn't that how it is for most people? Especially those as young as I am? Surely it's ok to wait a bit longer in finding a purpose.

As I was self-justifying...whatever it was that I was trying to rationalise, I continued to try to feel out my own body, my own soul, but I honestly didn't know if I made any progress or not. Sometimes I think I got something, but whenever I tried to bring that feeling towards my hands, it ended up being nothing.

I very carefully opened one of my eyes to have a peak around at everyone else to see how they doing.

Like me, most of the class were getting no reaction out of the marbles. Some were squinting and red-faced as they tried their hardest to get a reaction, while others including Saori and Rokuro were trying their best to stay relaxed, but the occasional twitch or shuffle would betray them.

Josuke, unlike everyone else our age, was slumped over, and it was hard to tell whether he was about to fall asleep or already napping. That only made infuriating the fact that his marble shone brightly and steadily, or would be if I wasn't damping my emotions.

Then there was Sensei.

Not only were the six marbles in his hands glowing, they were also floating as if suspended on strings, all while he kept still every single muscle to the point that it was hard to tell if he was even breathing. At that moment, if someone had told me that Hiraoka Takeo was a sage, I would have believed them.

Suddenly Sensei's eyes open and look directly at me with a raised eyebrow. I ducked my face a little, but took the hint and got back to work.

One or two minutes later, I felt something new. A sort of ember of warm and tingling right near my stomach, different, more real feeling than any other false impression I had had before. As if there was an actual physical presence to this ember, like the weight of a hot meal.

Cautiously I tried to move the ember towards my hands. It didn't fight me, really, but did not go exactly where I wanted it to, like pulling a ball by a string across rough ground. It wandered slowly up my left arm and into the palm of my hand.

I quickly looked down at the marble, and my heart began to race. For just a second the marble began to flicker and sputter, a coal covered in ashes. Then it died.

It was a second, but it was real.

I looked up and once again met the eyes of sensei. This time he had a big grin on his face, one that couldn't be mistaken as anything but full of pride and congratulations.

And as I look back down at the marble, for just a few minutes, all the frustrations of my reading difficulties, the shame of being different in a bad way, and the worries I've not been doing anything with this new life? They all completely disappear, replaced by feelings of pride, accomplishment, and, above all, wonder.

* * *

Thanks for reading


	5. Chapter 4 updated

So thanks to almostinsane for editing and Cezyou for looking over the plot with me. Edited

Don't own Naruto

* * *

"So I think the first thing we should do is look for a place to hid and rest," Saori said in a supremely authoritative voice, the commandment given.

"Hmm, what about food? Shouldn't we get that first?" I said in response. I knew it was not the right answer, but that is not the point. Correcting me will help build her confidence in her idea and expand on it.

"No, what is the point of hunting if we have nowhere to cook? Plus, we would need somewhere to meet if we split up and we don't know what condition we will be in if we are injured. Then we will need to stop and patch ourselves up." It seems to have worked, as she moves from 'what we should do' to 'why' we should do it. Saori seems happy with her 'genius' deduction. It's adorable.

Still, there is one thing to do before we move on.

"What do you think Rokuro-Kun?" I asked the quiet boy. It's actually fairly rare for quiet people to not take part in a conversation because they don't what to. It's more likely for them to just be too intimidated, so I need to get him going from the beginning if I want him to stay involved when the actual arguing starts.

"Oh umm..." Rokuro starts as he looks at us, thinking. "I think Saori-chan is right, but maybe we should remember to set up defences before we start making camp? So we don't get ambushed in the place we were meant to be hiding in."

"Ok, that makes sense. Let's go with that," was my simple reply, and with that Rokuro and Saori started writing down the first part of the plan while I copy them out of the corner of my eye, changing a word or two as I go.

Class this fine morning was split up into groups of three to work on problem-solving, my group was working on 'what to do if your team was cut off behind enemy lines?'

We got to pick our own groups, and it was no surprise that the two of them chose each other. Rokuro and Saori had been fast–friends since the first week, the more confident girl being an anchor for the socially awkward boy in the tumultous sea of the schoolyard, and he a…reliable follower?

What was a bit surprising was that they asked me to join them, as I don't really spend that much time talking to them, and I am not exactly known for being very… useful for the morning classes. But I guess the few times I've helped Rokuro out in practice must have endeared me to him a bit.

I'm still unbeaten, but it's getting a bit closer over the last 2 months.

"I mean it would be like leaving a footprint in the mud," I quickly corrected myself, changing my idiom to the local one.

"Oh yea, you might be right," Rokuro said as he considered things, running his hand through this black hair and tapping his pen on the table as he thought. "We could forage, but I don't know if it would be possible for three people to get enough food that way…"

"It would definitely work" Saori put one finger in the air as she explained like she was about to begin to lecture. "My aunt taught me loads of stuff about eatable berries and roots and stuff. This way, there is more food around you than most people think. There are even some plants that you can eat."

She then gave me a stern look before adding, "But don't eat any Wisteria's or their seeds Shou. They might be pretty, but they are poisonous."

"Really?" I said trying to hide my amusement. I already knew that fact. Actually, some of the family scrolls I've been reading indicate that 'look nice, but be poisonous' might be the closest thing to a family motto the Fujimori got. But the fact that she thinks that just because it's in my name that I would try to eat it made me worried about what exactly my classmates thought of me.

We continued back and forth like this for a while, writing out our plan as we go. I spent most of my part of it phrasing my ideas like questions, as I found from the institution that that's the best way to get kids to think things through. (I missed the Brats, needed to go see them soon.) It helped that as one of the 'slower kids', they didn't mind me asking like they would an adult doing it.

We eventually had our plan written out just before sensei asked us to hand it in and head outside for the evening lessons, saying we were in for something different today. Interested, I started speeding up as I got moving, Rokuro and Saori were quick to follow. Apparently we were 'hanging out' today.

We were not going to the sparring square today but instead were guided to the training fields, passing some Chunin working on some sort of group Jutsu in a large field; though by the look of it, it was in the early stages as two of the shinobi were yelling at each other and making gestures while the third was staring into an elaborate scroll, confused.

The group of students stopped two fields down from the trio in a much smaller field, more long than wide with targets in a line at one end and distance and angle markers all over the ground. Near the targets was a row of boxes as if waiting just for us, and standing over them was what I assume was today's teaching help.

As we got closer it looked like it was safe to say she was of the 'Been volunteered as punishment' type rather than 'choosing to volunteer' type. The first clue was the slightly thicker and more padded material of her vest from the standard. The big sign that we were looking at a Jounin, and all of those who had work with my class so far had obviously not wanted to be there. They were more often working with the older classes and seemed more into it with them, but I guess the first years were not yet worth their time.

Actually, we seemed to not be worth anyone's time yet. No one in the class had yet convinced any of the guest teachers to give one on one lessons or teach anything outside of the curriculum, Jounin or Chunin.

The other reason I assumed she was not here by choice might be a bit superficial, but well, she doesn't look the type.

The first thing you noticed about her was her choppy, shoulder-length green hair under a dark bandanna framing wide, deep purple eyes and a petite nose. Thin, well-glossed lips, this time a light purple, pulled up in a smug smirk in one corner. A ring pierced her lower lip, left of centre.

Then you got to her clothes. She was using the dark blue Jounin vest, three sizes too small (too big?), as a shirt, the zipper left fully open to show off a thick strip of cloth, wrapped tightly around her chest, the effect coming off as similar to a small armless Biker-vest over a tube-top. The point was to obviously show off her broad, well-developed arms and her impressive six-pack, managing to maintain that line between ripped and feminine.

Her lower body was covered by a pair of black cargo pants with two kunai pouches on both hips and a steel chain wrapped around her waist, the end of which lead up her back to where rested a larger than average kusarigama.

If it was not for the weapon, she would look more like a punk-rocker then a ninja.

Finally, there was the way she stood, stance wide and back straight with her arms crossed. You could feel the confidence radiating off this person.

"Alright brats, Hurry up and get in line. Move! Move! MOVE!" she yelled to the group, playfully rather than angrily thank God. The teaching methods of a pissed of Ninja are to be feared.

We all line up in front of her as she went about opening one of the boxes and began to speak.

"So maggots, I'm Eguchi Yuina and the bosses have decided that it's my job to teach you lot how to throw your first kunai, oh such a special occasion," she said, putting on a voice, the kind you think of when a proud mother talks of her child's first something or another before going back to a more natural drawl, "But first, I got to show you how to hold'em so you don't stab yourself instead of what you're supposed to stab."

So this was Eguchi Yuina, huh? In a small place like Taki, everyone tended to know almost everyone one else, at least by name, and the Jounin of the village were treated as minor, and sometimes major, celebrities. Eguchi-san was a little famous as Taki's current youngest Jounin, so she had to be something of a genius, but outside of that, you didn't hear that much about her in the gossip circles, at least the ones I eavesdropped on, which is weird. You'd think if someone got to the top at what, sixteen, Seventeen? You would hear things like 'the next Head Jounin' or 'future pillar of the village' or something. I wonder if there was a story hidden in there somewhere.

The next ten to fifteen minutes was taken up with her going over the do's and don't's of knife handling as I learned the universal truth of the multiverse: that no matter what dimension or world you are in, health and safety lectures will always follow, and they will always be boring no matter the content. After she was done, she showed us the most basic of throwing techniques and told us to grab fifty kunai, no more, pick a target, and stand at the first line marker. Then, if and when we hit a bullseye, we were supposed to take a step back and try again. We were told to leave the knives in the targets when we were done so Eguchi-san could judge our first attempts.

Rokuro, Saori and I ended up picking a spot at the end of the line and began to get to work, throwing one after another and mostly missing.

This was interesting. Just like with the lessons on chakra, weapon throwing was not something I had ever done before in either life or something I had any real knowledge on. I was on a completely even playing field with everyone in the class. I took one of the blades and held it loose in my hand, by the handle and not the blade like those knife throwers in circuses, stretched my arm across my body as I stood in the ready position, then flicked my arm forward like a whip and let the kunai go the moment the tip faced the target. The kunai flew through the air to the target and three-fourths of the way there it was looking good, but then the blade started to turn to the side before bouncing off the left side of the outer ring.

It was a completely even field, but it didn't look like I was very good at it, though as I looked at the others (Saori's also bouncing off of her target and Rokuro missing altogether), I'm not particularly bad either. So it went on like this: I would throw until I ran out of knives and then wait around for Eguchi-sensei to come and look at my work before telling me to gather all my used kunai to start again. She would look at the first two or three attempts before giving me a tip or correcting a mistake, then move on to the next student.

This process repeated countless times, with us being out here for more than two hours if I was to guess. The results… well, I can say that I was hitting the target most of the time by then, but whether or not the kunai would stick in or bounce off was still mostly up to chance, and the bullseyes I got were complete crapshoots where I had no idea how I got them. Eguchi-sensei eventually called for last rounds, to use up our Kunai and to not go and get any more. Some of the group were slowing down, trying to make every throw count. I had pretty much have finished up and had been watching Saori try her best. She seemed to have a bit more of a knack for it than myself, managing to hit the bullseye three times in this go, and with ten kunai left, she could actually get four.

She was working on her last one, tongue sticking out a little, when I noticed that yelling was happening behind me. Curious, I start walking over to where the noise was coming from.

Like usual, the source of the noise was Josuke standing in the centre of a group that was progressively getting larger as more and more students like myself gathered around to gawk and spectate. Unsurprisingly Josuke seemed to be in an argument with someone, scowling and leaning forward instinctively to use his large size to his advantage as he raised his voice. What was surprising was that the person arguing with him was the quiet Rokuro, the last person to get in a fight with anyone, so I could guess which side was starting things. I began to start hearing what they were saying as I got in range.

"Look, just give them to me man. It will be really cool, I promise," Josuke said with a bit of a whine.

"They're mine though. You had your own." Was the timid reply from Roukuro, not looking the bigger boy in the eye.

"But I ran out, and I'm not allowed to take them out again because sensei put them away." Josuke was starting to pout. "Come on, I know I can get three bullseyes in a row this time. Just give me three kunai, that's all." Josuke, unlike the smaller boy, had no problem staring someone else in the eye, hard.

Rokuro was all but shaking, but still was not looking like he was going to give them up. It's strange that this was the thing that Roukuro would not back down on over all the other times with the bigger boy. Its weird sometimes, the things that feel important at a time or place.

Still, I was 'friends' now with the small boy, so I decided I should go and give him a hand even though I don't really think Josuke would actually do anything. While he had gotten rough during his clashes before, it was only with some of the tougher boys who pushed first.

I walked up to the two and made a noise to get their attention, placing myself where I could move to stand between them if I wanted, but still off to the side. Rule one of stopping an argument: don't just butt in and just start talking, get their attention first.

"What do you want?" Josuke said as he turned to me. He looked disgruntled, more annoyed that I was there. "I'm just asking him to lend me some kunai."

Instead of answering I turned to Rokuro and looked at him with a question in my eye; Rule two: don't take a side before both have told you what they think. It's better to make it seem like you are impartial even when you are definitely not.

"They're mine," Roukro muttered.

Not the greatest way to present your case my friend, but well, he was six, and really, 'It's mine' has always been the core of most arguments in all of history.

"Look, Josuke," I tried to keep my voice easy as I started talking, "I get it, but Rokuro doesn't want to give you any of his, and it's his choice."

He scowled at me, his brow creasing like it tended to do when he got annoyed and looked like he was going to start pouting before he gave me a look and started to smile again.

"Then how about you give me some of yours, huh? I'm sure I can get it this time." He turned away from Roukro at this point, his full attention on me, the other boy forgotten.

"Sorry man, but I can't. Mine are..," I started to explain, but the other boy interrupted, walking up to me and standing close, partially nose to nose. He was a little taller, but by almost nothing. We had an even eye level.

"Come on man, just three. Let's make it interesting! We will fight over it: the winner gets the kunai, it will be fun," he started smiling widely at his idea, as if I was already sold on this path, and started rolling his shoulders and bouncing up and down to loosen up. I could only blink in confusion at the leap of logic.

"I don't think that will work Josuke-kun," _'smile,'_ I told myself, _'don't show how annoyed you're getting Shou.'_ If you start frowning or showing anger, this absolutely will turn into a fight, so keep the smile up.

"Mine have already been put away too, plus I don't think the sensei will be very happy with us if we started fighting."

"Ya right," Josuke scoffed. "You're just scared that you might lose. Don't you want to know who would win too?" he started standing in a ready stance, a basic thing, arms up, knees bent, "Winner will get to say that they are definitely the strongest in class." No mention of kunai anymore, what was important had shifted.

I am frowning now. There was no point staying friendly and trying to de-escalate when a fight was what the other side wanted. It was best to just disengage, "I am not fighting you Josuke," I stared him in the eye as I said this, letting him know that I was not cowering, just making my choice. "Now how about leaving us alone. Come on Roukro, let's finish up." And with that I just turned around, ending the conversation.

"Hey! Get back here" from his voice, I could tell that my walking away surprised him, "Don't be a chicken. Well, are you a chicken brrk, brroock, broock, brk-ooock!"

 _"Ah"_ I thought with mild amusement, _'The greatest insult a child could make, sound effects include.'_

Sadly for him, I was well beyond something as silly as that upsetting me, and my only response was to glance at him, chuckling at him a little as I shook my head. He spluttered at my response, going red in anger now.

I was done with this. But the next thing he said stopped me, a darker tone in his voice.

"Are you sure you don't want to fight? Isn't punching things the only thing you're good for?" was what he said. I turned back around to stare at him. I could see him start smiling again as he saw my face, having gotten a response. "Ya that's right, we all know how you do in classes where a guy needs his head. If you're not going to fight, then what good are you?"

Breath in, Breath out.

I tried my best to calm down, to not let what he said get to me. He was just a frustrated brat and getting into it with him wouldn't get me anything. So I just forced myself back around again, but before I turned I couldn't stop myself letting something slip out, childish as it might be.

"At least people can stand being around me, unlike some people." And with that I just walked away. Pointless and stupid I know, but I did feel better. 'Now what should I do?' I asked myself. 'Maybe I can go back to Roukro, I might be able to use this to cement his good opinion of me, or maybe I should just leave and head ho….'

Pain.

The side of my head burst into fire as I felt myself get blown off my feet, my vision swimming as I rolled across the ground. I still had enough sense to force myself to bounce back to my feet as fast as possible and to get into a fighting stance facing to where the attack came from. Standing there a bit blurry in his own fighting stance was Josuke, a scowl on his face and true anger, not one his usual temper tantrums, radiating off of him as he started moving closer.

A bit panicked from the turn of events and head fuzzy from the hit, I followed my instincts as I slipped forward with a set of quick light jabs with my lead hand to scare him back and keep him out of attacking range. He still inched forward as he either used his forearms to defend himself by swatting my hand to deflect it rather than block, or by swaying his head back or to the side when he mistimed it. Still even if I was not making contact, my attacks had slowed his invasion of my space.

I continued my offense, throwing in a kicks and right punches whenever he dodged past my jabs or to just keep him guessing as I started to fall back step by step, taking advantage of the fact that there was no ring or boundary to help me keep the distance between us to give my head time to clear. The fact that I had longer limbs meant that I could attack just a little bit before he could send something back was a godsend. Still, the fact that he was visibly getting better at dodging or blocking my strikes and his eyes were clear and thinking about something worried me.

But this is fine, my heads clearing and I think I can keep this going, the teachers should come and stop us soon, just have to keep calm and…

My right fist hits, or should I say Josuke lets my straight hit, I could see his considering look as he chooses to grit his teeth and let my hit past his guard. The attack slams into the side of his jaw and stops dead, my knuckles feeling like I smacked a bag of gravel. The moment stretch, then Josuke smirks and charges forward.

I backpedaled. He definitely was not 'moving faster than the eye could see' or some crap like that, but it was much faster than anything I had ever had to deal with up to now, and before I could comprehend what was happening, he was in my guard and readying something.

Remembering what his first punch did from before I went from a bit panicked to a little scare. While he was not trying to really hurt me, a concussion or broken bones was an accident away, so I let instincts take over again and jumped forward, pressing against him while looping both hands around the outside of the Josuke's shoulders before scooping back under the forearms to grasp his arms tightly against his own body and lean into him. Finally I hooked a leg around one of his to help stop any kicking.

A clinch is one of the most desperate and ugly moves in boxing, and also the single best and most used survival technique in a pinch. By pinning their limbs and staying close, you rob their attacks of momentum and good angles and therefore force, the difference between 'pain' and 'damage'. It wasn't something I would do if weapons were involved, but I decided it would give me some breathing room and time to think of a…

I grunted in agony as he started putting small, fast, textbook punches into my stomach from his tied up position. Each punch feeling like getting hit was a small hammer, I tried to hold on, but I felt the bruises starting to develop. Any more of this and I'd have started to lose feeling. The moment his leg escaped, I could have been out there and then.

Luckily this was not a match, so I could play a little dirty.

I quickly reached down with both hands to grab the back of Josuke's shirt, then pulled it over his head and face, blinding him a little and using it as a leverage to pull his head and neck to the side and throw him off balance. I heard him make a muffled shout of surprise, the first sign from him that things were not going his way. For a moment stopped in indecision, something that should have been beaten out of him like the rest of us in class if only he had been allowed to participate.

I did not hesitant in punishing him for this moment and performed an act rare for me: I took things to the ground.

I moved around to his back and wrapped my hands around his left arm before kicking my legs up and wrapping them around his neck and torso, then using my weight, I pulled him onto the ground and on top of me. With a quick bit of adjusting and hyper-extending of the elbow joint of the arm, I had him in a pretty standard armbar.

Now, this was the point where I should have won. Position, angle, and leverage was all on my side, and he was still a little blinded by his shirt on top of that.

But chakra is capital b, Bullshit.

"Oh, come on," I muttered to myself as I struggled with his arm, not quite able to extend it to the point of hurting, as my legs shook from the effort of keeping the rest of him down. Josuke yelled and huffed behind the fabric as he struggled for all he was worth. Then the ridiculous happened: he got his free arm, badly angled, behind his back, and the six-year proceeded _to push himself one handed back into a seated position with me still hanging on._

Josuke gave one more yell as he raised me up before slamming me back down into the ground. My left shoulder hit the earth first and went numb, and I let go and tried to roll away.

Luckily Josuke was thinking the same thing and scrambled away, getting distance and putting his shirt back to where it should be. At least he was breathing a bit hard now, thought the big happy smile on his face was pissing me off. I, on the other hand, slowly brought myself back to my feet, the side of my head, my stomach and chest, and now my arm aching. I was not smiling.

No wonder a bunch of twelve-year-olds were expected to be able to take on a large group of bandits with no problems if this was the difference even the most basic use of chakra channeling gave you. It was taking everything I had to not get pummeled into the ground, and Josuke looked like he had barely started. I needed to think of a way to end this fast or just give up.

'Actually, why had I not given up yet?' Was my main thought as we started circling each other, both preparing ourselves to jump back into the fight, 'It's not like I am getting or losing anything from this, and yet now I can't bring myself to just… quit.'

Maybe I was too angry at him for starting this in the first place, or maybe the adrenaline was kicking in, but that didn't sound right to me.

Maybe it was that because this was the first interesting thing, the first conflict, to happen to me for a while. Taki was a beautiful place, but not much happened on a day to day basis. Good or bad, this little scrape had added some spice to life, and at that thought a small begrudging smirk wormed its way onto my face.

 _"Still,"_ I think to myself _"doesn't really matter if I'm going to lose anyway."_ Josuke was the first to lose patience as he starts moving in, though not in a bull rush this time.

So I needed to think of a way to win this and fast. My left arm was working but it was not going to have any strength in it for a while. I was just going to have to defend with it for now, _"Or maybe"_ a thought crossed my mind. It was stupid, but what else could I do?

I held my ground as he got ready to attack, my left arm slack and hanging as if I couldn't move it, along with my right arm up and ready as I started to concentrate.

Over the last few months, we had been working regularly on chakra in class and just about everyone could feel it and move it a little. It was the same for me. It was hard, and I could only do a little, but I decided it would be enough for this.

The energy, the small warm embers from before slowly but more purposely now, moved from my navel and up my arm and rests into my left fist, strengthening, hardening, empowering and, most importantly, waiting to be used. That fist-full was about it for what I can do right now in a fight, however.

Just as he was about to get into range to attack me, I stepped in hard and raised my 'good' fist up as if to attack. Josuke saw this and tensed up, about to throw his only strike. I just needed the timing now.

This strategy was completely dependent on one assumption: that Josuke's technical skill was much higher than his experience.

Experience should have told him that it was proven that the difference in physical ability between us was not even funny. It didn't matter how he attacked as he would not only get past my defence, but also might break whatever it was I used to defend myself. Trying to guess what he would do in this situation would be too risky a gamble when he could do anything.

But on a technical level, the left-side defence of my upper body was down and the side of my head was open, so if he let his training take over, then the 'right' answer to my move was…

There! His right hand came up and around, bending in a horizontal arc towards my head as he twisted at the hips and stepped into the blow. A pure power hit.

My chakra infused arm shot up, as I leant to the inside of his strike and threw a slightly arced left punch with everything I had into his shocked face. My _Counter-strike_ hit dead on, and his head blew back, as he began to fall.

Not that I had time to care, as I messed up. The reason my strike was arched a little was to catch the inside of his arm with the outside of mine to kill the punch, but I didn't raise my arm up enough and his fist was still on its merry way to my nose. I had time for one though.

 _"Shit"_

Everything went black.

* * *

So first fight scene in the fic, and the SI got his ass-kicked.

This chapter is in word-count is almost a third of the story….

Also my first cliff-hanger, yay.


	6. End of the beginning, and a beginning of

_So no one wanted to beta, and my usual_ _victim's_ _helpers are busy, so I'll just have to come back to this part later._

 _Don't own Naruto_

* * *

 _Tick, tock_.

The silence stretched on as the three of us sat in the room, the clock the only constant source of sound.

 _Tick, tock._

It's not that we were banned from talking despite it being a detention. it's just that Sensei was more interested in going over his paperwork and was still a bit annoyed, and to say things were awkward between me and Josuke was an understatement.

After I was knocked out I had been woken by a combination of one of the Chunin from before using the mystic hand technique on me, a splitting headache and the sound of Hiraoka-sensei yelling his head off. The last one was so surprising and new that I had to turn over and look despite the pain concentrated in my everything.

He was a few meters away and was laying into Eguchi-sensei, no stutter or timid body language then, he was standing tall and looming, his voice was clear and angry, and his expression terrible. That Eguchi-sensei stood there with an amused smile and no fear was amazing in its own way.

I didn't really remember what he said, concussions do that, but I do remember that at one point she replied to one of his questions with a teasing "but why would I, isn't that how boys are supposed to solve their problems?" she must have seen something in his face at her question because she then did the ninja vision of 'legging it' as he screamed something unintelligible after her. Then he rounded on me and Josuke who was sitting not far away on the ground with a black eye.

 _Tick, tock._

I shivered in my seat at the memory of the tongue lashing and then immediately regretted the motion as pain shot through me, part of the punishment was that only the concussion was looked at, I had to live with the rest of the damage.

I then looked down at the table in front of me and frowned at all the completed homework, everything that I could have done on my own was finished. All that was left was to drum my fingers on the table and look around the room in boredom. That the room I was in happened to be the same one I sit in every day, just darker now, just added to the problem that was boredom.

 _Tick, tock._

"Psshh, hey, Shou!" that was the loudest whisper I had ever heard, I'm impressed. I turned to look at Josuke who was leaning over from his spot next to me, hand even cupped around his mouth and shooting glances to make sure sensei was not looking.

"Ya?" was my simple reply as I looked at him out of the corner of my eye, not bothering to whisper back, sensei will know if we talked or not, no point making a big deal of it.

"look, well… ahm…see…" he just kind of trailed off and frowns down at the table in front of him and fidgeted in his seat in frustration, wanting to say something but not able or knowing how to say it.

I turned to face the other boy fully this time and looked at him properly, and for the first time I had known him, he was not able to meet someone's gaze. glancing down or away whenever our eyes meet, the usually proud and boisterous boy looking awkward and uncomfortable in his chair as I watched him.

 _"what are you doing you arse?"_ I gave out to myself, and with a deep breath, I went about doing what a fucking decent adult should have done hours ago instead of waiting for the child to make the first steps.

"…sorry," I said before adding "shouldn't have said that thing about people not liking you, was not right."

"Ya, the same." He said as he relaxed, not having to start things, "shouldn't have said that thing, was just trying to get you to react," he then took on a sheepish expression as he started to scratch the back of orange haired head, cut short at the top and shaved at the sides, and then went on, "and I should of not sucker punched you, really unmanly, should of make you turn around first! Sorry." He was sporting a goofy grin now.

So that was what getting an eye twitch felt like, it was uncomfortable.

"I'm pretty sure no one should have punched anyone at all, it's why" I stopped to give a little wave around "we are here now."

"pfft" Josuke just gave a little laugh at that, "Oh, come on. You were having fun too, I saw you smiling at some point, I know it." he leant back in his chair and blow out a breath, "besides, it was awesome! And you won, so why are you complaining?"

At that remark, I looked over to the far wall of the room where there was a large mirror sitting on one of the wall shelves. On it was my image. except unlike my usual hairstyle of down to the ears with the fringe swept over to the right, I now spotted an extra curve on one side were a massive bump had developed. Though that had nothing on the side of my face which was one big inflamed bruise, one of my light brown eyes swollen half shut. And that's not even getting into the rotten fruit impression my body was probably doing under my clothes. then I looked at the other boy and his perfectly fine condition if you ignore the black shiner that was under his right eye.

I just gave him a deadpan stare as I asked. "did I even knock you out at the end?"

"Ah, well… no." he laughed nervously, "you made me a little dizzy though, besides! you were at a disadvantage, so It was like...," he looked like he was physically struggling to put his thoughts into words, "I won the fight, but, uh, you won at being tough? cool? Something." He nodded to himself as if that made perfect sense, or really, any sense, "if you could use your chakra properly you would have won, so you kind of did."

I… actually wasn't sure about that. I made a lot of mistakes in that fight looking back, and the only things Josuke did wrong was more about inexperience then lesser ability. If things were more even I would not have been as desperate to jump on those moments he gave me, and he might have been less aggressive, It would have been an entirely different fight.

No point saying that here, would just lead to that silly 'no you won, no you did' argument. So, I just smile. "let's just call it a draw for now? Winer of next time gets to decide who won."

"Cool!... but don't do that shirt thing, that was not manly."

"Don't wear baggy clothes then." I teased him, then raised my arm showing the seal of recognition. "how about we do this properly, names Fujimori Shou, good fight."

He beamed, "Nijimura Josuke, Good fight." We then lapsed into a more comfortable silence, though one that did not last long.

"Hey, Shou?"

"Yes, Josuke?"

"When are we allowed to leave?"

"Probably when Sensei is done with his paperwork."

"Oh, ok." he looked at sensei's desk and then back at me.

"Hey, Shou?"

"Hmm?"

"That's a lot of paperwork."

"Yep." I replied, popping the 'p'.

It had gotten dark by the time we were let out, but with all the cliff walls and the canopy, it was probably not as late as it felt. We spent the time making small talk. first about the fight, then class, then just every random thing, I start getting to know little things about him, Josuke's favourite colour was blue, he was surprisingly insightful about some things in an 'make things simple' way, and seems to judge things on how 'manly' or 'cool' they are, with his dad being the coolest and most manly guy around.

My apartment was in the same part of the village as the Nijimura clan grounds so we head off in the same direction.

We talked on the way back too.

* * *

So, the end of the Introduction arc, just a small thing to tie up loose ends. The next bit will be after a small time-skip.

A lot of the last few parts were to introduce Josuke and make it obvious he was an important character without just saying it, or letting out just what his role in the story will be moving forward.

How did it go?

Things I learned to work on next arc.

1, Describe the characters more: was trying to go for a slow painting, giving little bits about what the characters look like as the story goes, but it was not going like I hoped.

2, Build up Taki more: I chose to put this story in a less used Village, I need to start bringing it alive.


	7. Chapter 5 Updated

thanks to Shadowbyte, cezyou and almostinsane for Beta reading

 ** _Warning: the part of this update was an experiment/self-imposed challenge in writing a very complex process, so it's going to be a bit weird._**

don't own Naruto

* * *

"Hey Shou-Kun, can you pass the glue?"

"Ya, sure Tetsuo-kun, hey Saori-chan! Where're the paintbrushes?"

"I think Taura-chan had them last. I'll go ask her." She then got up from our table to go and talk to the other girl at the other end of the room. While I waited for her I went back to trying to force the mould I was working with to keep the right shape. Tetsuo, a purple-hair kid with a big nose who was sitting next to me was trying to get his origami crane just right, though I wondered if I should have told him it doesn't count if you were glueing it together.

Morning classes that day was arts and crafts, and if you're wondering what secret ninja reason we were doing such a task, it's simple. We're kids, and the teachers were letting us have a bit of fun. Not to say that an artistic talent could not have its uses in this profession. But Hiraoka-sensei was not grading us, so it probably does not matter. Which is good, I thought as my attempt at a pot falls apart in my hands again, because I sucked at this.

"What do you mean there's no blue left? Huh!" I looked over to the noise on my right to see Josuke standing up from his chair on the other side of Tetsuo in front of another kid. He seemed to be about to start yelling, the other kid looking nervous.

With a bored sigh, I leant over behind Tetsuo towards Jouske and then slapped him in the back of his head.

"Ow, Shou! What was that for?" He glared at me, rubbing the back of his head

"Stop picking fights and get back to your painting already," I said as I gave him a flat look.

Instead of an answer he just punched me hard in the arm, I ignored it and he moved back to his seat and started working on his project again, muttering an "not picking fights" and pouting a little.

That had become a common scene over the last year of our friendship. He's a good guy, but he can get riled up over the littlest things, so I had to calm him down or distract him when he acts up.

In all honesty hanging out together in class had done wonders for both of us. With me there to reel him in the others in the class had gotten a lot less nervous around him, he even started to make more friends and hang out with people. He's a lot happier since those early days which in turn made his little outbursts less common, which again makes the others better inclined to him.

And with him there I had someone who can and was happy to draw all the attention in the room to himself, allowing me to blend into the background. I can get cranky or fed up with people if not given my space, and he's usually good at getting me back into things, … or at least can take all the attention when I want a break.

Also, he's just a good guy, and a bit of a dork.

I still remember the day I explained to him that the way he was acting could have been seen as bullying. Not only was he shocked, but the next day he spent the whole morning running around apologising to everyone individually, formal bow and everything. It took everything I had to not laugh at the sural sight of the little delinquent running around like a headless chicken, yelling, "sorry!"

And he really did look like what a stereotypically Japanese delinquent was thought to look like back in the old world, the short buzzed cut at the sides hair, a thick short jacket over a white T-shirt and wide Bontan pants (not that different to parachute pants, maybe a little less exaggerated), he looked like he was made to become the main character of a street gang drama.

Saori came back around the time that I had finally got the clay to stay in the right shape and was placed off to the side to dry. She passed me the paintbrush before going back to her own work. Saori, well, to be honest, she had somehow become even more average looking as she grows. A little short for her age, petite face and nose and straight black hair that run down to her upper-back in a ponytail.

Everyone at the table worked in silence for the next while, Josuke painting a picture of his own shoe, Saori doing some knitting thing, I starting to paint the pot I was making, and Tetsuo seemed to have moved up to gluing different pieces of origami together to make one bigger piece of art, though I couldn't tell what it was supposed to be at that point.

Then one of the other tables started getting a lot noisier. Turning in my seat to look over I saw an interesting sight.

Taura, the red hair girl that Saori was friends with was holding up an origami swan in the palm of her hands for everyone to see. What was interesting was that its wings were moving on its own as if it was alive. Standing up above it with his hands up in the air, his fingers moving as if performing a puppet show was Rokuro. Red from the embarrassment of everyone looking at him, but still smiling.

Unlike Saori, Rokuro had gotten a fair bit bigger, if still shorter than guys like me and Jouske. He had grown his brown hair out into a short dog-tail with his bangs framing his face. Two months ago he started to wear glasses. Clothes wise he was wearing and long green jumper and shorts combo.

 _"Are those Chakra strings?"_ I was honestly a bit shocked. While I know that once he figured out how to summon up his Chakra, he had started shooting ahead of the class; it was still amazing to see a skill being used that was supposed to be way above our level.

Saori and Josuke had made their way over there and joined the crowd watching the moving swan, one a little more loudly than the other, and the other showering her friend in praise. I decided to stay back and watch from where I was sitting and just observe everyone.

Moments like these were nice, where nothing is really happening but everyone is enjoying themselves. Precious memories or something like that. everyone in this room will grow up as mercenaries, killers, etc. But right now, they're just kids, and everyone was simply happy.

It was turning out to be a good day.

After a few minutes, I decided that I've had enough and that my pot won't paint itself. So I turned back to the table and what I see strikes me dumbfounded, mouth open in shock.

The whole table had been conquered by a Dragon. A paper eastern Dragon wide enough that its tail is circling the whole length of the table twice, thick enough in the middle to fit my torso and tall enough to tower over even Sensei. It's great snarling mouth wide open in front of me as if to roast me live or swallow me whole. I must admit I almost shat myself.

Off to the side was Tetsuo, just standing there with his hands on his hips, a smug proud smile on his face. The type you had after a hard day's work.

* * *

My forearm blocked the high strike with ease, but my opponent quickly dropped low, using simple speed to follow up with a sweeping kick to my legs that caught my shins and sent me tumbling.

I pushed myself off the ground and into the air, thanks to chakra, when she jumped on me, turning the fight into a mid-air grapple. We both twisted and turned, striking and pulling as we fell. Just before we hit the ground she managed to snake her way around my back and hooked her legs around my torso, and then with her left arm around my neck she grasped her other bicep to lock the hold into place. When we hit the ground, I tried to wiggle my way out, or at least force my hand in between her hold and my neck. But she tightened the muscles controlling her elbow to create lateral pressure and my vision started to fade and go blotchy.

I struggled for a second or three but it just was not happening, so I gave in and started to tap on her arm and yell out "I give, I give!" Or, well, I had tried to say that, but it became more of an "Ig-awk! Ig-awk!" sound.

"Winner, Makioka Saori!" was the sound of Hiraoka-sensei confirming things with a smile in his voice, though it was hardly heard over the sound of the other students yelling happily and the clapping.

"Yahoo!" Saori jumped up and down in excitement and did this little taunt/dance thing. "Yes! Yes! Suck it, Shou!"

"S-Saori-chan! Language."

"Sorry Sensei! Woo!"

What? Am I a villain or something?

I got up off the ground and dusted myself off. We were back in the ring just outside of the classroom. Around this time of year it was starting to get a bit chilly, though not a lot; the weather doesn't change much in a place so sheltered. I moved to the centre and made the sign of reconciliation, giving her a smile to let her know that I wouldn't be a brat about the fact that she had finally beat me.

As Sensei called the next two students up we moved back to our places at the side, Saori with her own little group and me over to where Josuke sat cross legged. The little jerk was giving me a smirk and a look that all but said 'nan nan, you got beat up by a girl'.

I just rolled my eyes at him as I plopped down beside him with a grunt. "Laugh it up, it'll just be funnier when she gets you." I told him. He just scoffed.

"No way, she only got one against you, and you barely ever win anymore." He scratched his nose and tilted his head up as he looked down his nose at me "Face it, I'm just the best. It'd be easier if everyone just bowed down now and accepted it." If I didn't know he was joking, I would have smacked him right there. Teaching him how to taunt people properly was a mistake.

It had been about a month since everyone in the class started being able to circulate their chakra around their bodies well enough to be added to the sparring lessons, so now Josuke finally had joined us, to his absolute joy and everyone else's pain and minor misery.

If I were to start and keep a tally since Josuke had started playing the game, then the score would be 9 to 14 for me against Josuke, and now 8 to 1 for me against Saori. No one else was really in the running at this point, but I could see that changing in time, for those with aptitude and talent, if not genius, starting to pull away from the crowd.

And that's the thing, isn't it? I started thinking about it with a small frown as I laid back onto my elbows as I watched the next fight. Two of the more middle ranking fighters took their spots in the ring. There was a difference between a little ability and real talent.

It did not take Josuke long to start dominating in our fights, it's not just understanding and learning techniques faster, or just not performing as many mistakes as he did in the beginning, or a secret super style (his Clan does have their own, but is not something crazy like the Gentle fist). There's an instinct: reacting faster, moving faster, and coming to conclusions faster. Saori is the same, if not to the same extent. Fighting geniuses.

I'm… well, like the other ones, the guys who are good. Just with a head start.

Not like it should have been a surprise: it was the same as before. I was good at boxing, everyone said so, and my match record proved it. Won more than a few amateur-tournaments. And that meant something different in boxing than in a lot of other contact sports, as you need to have an amateur license, where I was from at least.

But the words 'going pro' was never brought up, and I never expected them to be, and by the time I was in my third year in university I had just kind of stopped, and was happy with how things went. I had gotten what I expected out of it and did not see the point in pushing further when I had more important things to think about.

But here I had started thinking things were different. I had _begun_ to develop a pride in being the best at Taijutsu in my age group, and it stung a little to know that it was misplaced pride. Could I push through it? Go the 'Rock Lee' route? Maybe, but while I wasn't bad at it like Lee was (is? will be?) I also don't have a Might Guy to help me out. Trying to focus on being a Taijutsu expert could be a lot of work for less of a great return.

I sat up to give myself a mental shakedown.

What was with the depressing thoughts? Getting all mopey just because things weren't the way I wanted them to be? I was still good at Taijutsu, and if anything I should be relieved that my classmates had shown me that I wasn't as good as I'd thought. Unlike before with boxing, I couldn't just go and see how it works out and then quit when I stopped seeing any progress. If I had gone out into the Ninja world with an inflated opinion of my skill, it could have lead to a 'game over'.

'No,' I said to myself, nodding, 'I'll keep on working to improve my Taijutsu, but I will need to look elsewhere, or multiple elsewhere's, to find my edge… now I just need to figure out where to look.'

"Oy, Shou?" I blinked as I started paying attention to my surroundings again, to see Josuke crouching in front of me, waving his hand in front of my face. "You're being weird again, did ya hear what I said?"

"Sorry," I replied, "what was it?"

"I said, my dad got you and your mum a spot next to us for the thing later today." He looked at me as he said this, waiting for a look of surprise at the good news. A bit late, since for this type of thing there is always a formal letter sent before hand. If I had to put a name on Ayaka's smile that day after finding out that a major clan head had saved a spot for us next to his own family, it would have been something like Nr. 18, variation 2. A little wider on the lips, a little more stretched around the eyes. Teeth. add a little hop to her movements and it was the closest I have ever seen her to ecstatic.

Still, even if I already knew, that didn't mean I wouldn't play along. That's not the point to these things. I smiled widely as I spoke, trying for something like Nr. 12, "Really? That's great, might be a bit more fun this time then, and we can head out to the stalls after." I wasn't really lying, anyway. The best part of those things honestly was all the great food ready to eat. You really learned to appreciate fast food and desserts when you live in a world without modern service-based economics.

"Ya, we can try out the games too," Josuke continued as the last spar just finished. It was a knock-out by flying kick; the fights had gotten a lot more dramatic now that we could decide to ignore physics. "I want to try for the high score in the ring toss, they don't let you do it after your second year at the academy. It's unfair or something."

"More like they can't make money off kids who can hit a bullseye every time," I snarked back, and we shared a grin at the thought of some poor vendor forced to give all his prizes to a bunch of ninja-in-training.

Josuke leapt back to his feet when everyone started to leave "Do you want to head over now?" he questioned me, "Some of them might already be set up."

I thought about it as I was getting myself ready to go, before shaking my head. "Sorry," I said, and meant it, "but Mum wants me to start evening training early today. so we have time to get ready, so I am heading home."

"No problem man. See you tonight." He offered his fist.

"Ya, see you." We bumped fists and then headed off: him to the lake to look around and me home. The air was crisp and the leaves on the trees were starting to brown.

* * *

I made my way to the door that enters the living room of our small apartment. I was in my best formal black kimono and hakama and my steps were smooth and unhurried before setting down at the table and placed the Mizusashi (a lidded container for freshwater) in front of me. Ayaka was seated at the table, wearing a beautiful and elaborate red Kimono that was displaying a natural scene of a forest in the middle of fall. While I did not ignore her, I didn't address her either, It was not appropriate at that point.

 _"First step: Bringing in the utensils"_

"I would like to serve you a bowl of tea," I clearly and evenly announced, indicating that I was going start the ceremony before walking into the room and placing the Mizusashi next to the Furo (portable hearth) that is on the table. Once again I walked out of the door and came back carrying the tea bowls (Chawan) and the container for the powdered matcha tea(Natsume). Chawan was held in the left hand and the Natsume in the right hand with my palm on top and fingers in front. I placed the Chawan and Natsume simultaneously in front of the Mizusashi. The Chawan contained the bamboo whisk (Chasen) and tea scoops (Chashaku). I repeated the journey one last time for the incense and the water ladle (hishaku) and lid rest (futa-oki). They were carried into the room with my left hand. (Ayaka had threatened to break my right if I ever made the mistake of using it again.)

This was the point where the process of closing the sliding door would have started, but as we didn't have one of those, I was allowed to skip it.

Sitting down in the middle of the table before the furo, I placed the kensui beside it. Still with just my left hand, I lifted the hishaku and the futa-oki was taken from the kensui with my right hand. Bringing the Hishaku up to my chest and then turning it up so that I could see into the cup of the ladle, I held it with my thumb on top under the fushi (nodule). I took the futa-oki from the kensui and placed it left of the furo with the right hand and placed the Hishaku on top of it. The handle of the hishaku was between my knees. I stifled the sigh of relief I had wanted to let out then: no mistakes so far.

 _"Step Two: The Greeting."_

For the first time since starting, I directly looked at the other person in the room. Ayaka looked back at me with calm eyes, though her usual smile was not present. Instead she wore a stern formal look. I greeted her with a bow and she silently bowed in return.

This was the moment in the ceremony where I was allowed a moment to ready myself and to arrange my clothes to make sure sitting will be comfortable for the duration of the tea-ceremony. Then, after taking a deep breath, I began.

 _"Step Three: the Cleaning"_

The chawan was picked-up with my right hand, transferred to the left and then put down in front of my knees with the right hand. Picking up the natsume with the right hand and placing it between my knees and the chawan, I lifted up a large layer of silk cloth (fukusa) and then folded it, carefully. Holding the fukusa in the right hand and picking up the Natsume with the left hand, I began to wipe the top of the natsume in the form of the hiragana syllable, moving from the left side down. When I finished, I placed the natsume in front of the mizusashi to the left.

I repeated the process for all the utensils, each bit of cleaning a ritual in of itself, each with its own movements and quirks. Some were practical, made to keep the long sleeves of the kimono from getting in the way or dirty. Others, solely there for the artistic value. But all having their place, and I would have been in right trouble if I had forgotten one.

After a minute or two, I finished the cleaning and cleansing, not too bad for a beginner. Now the main event.

 _"Step Four: Making the Tea."_

I picked up the chawan, placed it on the palm of my left hand, and poured warm water from the furo into it. Then, I slowly swirled the chawan in an anticlockwise motion three times to warm the tea bowl. Next, I discarded the water into the kensui with my left hand only. Bringing it back to chest-level and picking up a smaller cloth with my right hand, I laid it over the edge of the chawan and wiped to the right three times to come back to the starting point. Then I place the chakin on the lid of the mzusashi again. I took the chawan with my right hand and put it down in front of my knees again.

Using my right hand, I moved the chashaku from the natsume and picked up the natsume with the left hand from the side, holding the chashaku with only the little and ring fingers so the other two fingers and the thumb were free to take the lid from the natsume. I then scooped one-and-a-half spoons of powdered macha into the chawan. I tappedthe chashaku twice(no more) on the edge of the chawan in order to remove some macha which might have still been stuck to it. I put the lid back on the natsume, placed it back by the mizusashi and put the chashaku on top of it.

Removing the lid of the mizusashi, I brought it closer to my body with my right hand and flipped it so that the top was facing to the right. It was now in a vertical position. Grabbing it with the left hand with the thumb on the right, then with the right hand gripping it above the left and placed it standing against the Mizusashi on the left side.

Taking the hishaku from the pot, I used my index and middle finger to lift it from underneath. I slid those two fingers slightly forward to bring them around to hold the ladle like a pen and drew a full cup of water, but I only poured a little more than half of it into the bowl.

Taking the chasen in the right hand and holding the chawan with the left to make sure it didn't tumble over when whisking, I whisked the macha to a froth till about half of the chawan covered with foam. When the green tea froth was well-mixed I placed the chasen in front of the mizusashi again.

Picking up the chawan one last time with the right hand and placing it on the palm of the left hand, I turned it two times about one-quarter anticlockwise so that the front side (shomen) of the chawan was facing to the guest.

Ayaka, with the same neutral expression, bowed to me as I bowed back. She then was took the chasen from me and raised it to me in a gesture of respect, rotated the bowl to avoid drinking from its front, took a sip, and complimented me on the tea. After taking a few sips, she wiped clean the rim of the bowl and passed it back to me. After this was done, I then once again cleaned the equipment and left the room before coming back in with kindling and charcoal that I added to the fire in the corner of the room to signal the change from formal to casual. I then relaxed, shoulders slumping. I had done it, mostly.

I sat back down and made some more tea, the informal version, and we just sat there in silence for a second.

"That was very good Shou-chan! Not perfect, but perfection will come with time," Ayaka told me, the smile now back in place, as she drank at her tea.

 _"It fucking better."_ I thought to myself. This was the most needlessly inane thing I have ever had to learn, I could get the artistry behind all the little moments, but dammit if it wasn't a pain to learn. Instead of saying that, however, I just said, "Thank you Mother, I'll keep at it."

"Sooo… how is school?" she started "Are you and the Nijimura boy still getting along? No troubles?" She gave me a purposely questioning look as she handed me back her cup to pour her some more. While it was a fairly typical question to ask your son, I couldn't help but think that she was just trying to making sure that there was not going to be any problems tonight.

"It's all cool, actually. I forgot to ask: can I stay out a bit longer after the memorial tonight? Josuke and me were going to hang out at the stalls." I finished off my own cup and started making the next. It really was a good tea. It was too bad the portions are meant to be small.

"That's perfect!" she said as I handed over her cup, "Really, you did such a good job with that boy, I'm so proud of you." Ayaka was still been under the impression that the whole mess last year was some well-executed plan that I had set up to get closer to the Nijimura heir. I hadn't had the heart to correct her.

"How about you, mom? What are you going to do for the night?", I emptied my cup as I asked and remembered to look at and admire it for a few seconds like I was supposed to.

"Oh, you know, talk to Noriaki-sama and his wife, see if I can get them to invite be back to the Nijimura compound for tea. It would be nice to have a good relationship with the parents of your best friend, no?" She said this with a new smile, wide eyed and beaming with innocence, too experienced to forget to not force the crinkling around the eyes to make it look real.

I gave her face a contemplating scan before shaking my head a little, "Too childish, doesn't work for an adult."

"Oh," the expression was dropped immediately, replaced with the standard little upturn of the lips, "Was worth a try." Once again, she passed me her cup, "More please."

I poured two more cups and handed hers back to her, and held mine between my hands waiting for it to cool.

"So how are you finding classes? Your reading has been getting a lot better lately, has it been getting easier?" she asked.

I grimaced a little at the question, "It's alright," I said evasively. I had been getting better at reading, but not as fast as the readings had been getting harder: a constant game of catch up. She probed a bit more on the topic, but stopped before she got to the point of pushy. My tea seemed to have cooled down a bit so I took a sip before my eyes went wide and I quickly spat it out, spluttering. I reached over to the furo and scooped up some water to rinse my mouth out, the hot liquid burning me, but it was better than the alternative.

I heard clapping from across the table and looking up, I saw Ayaka staring at me with a big smile, another one I didn't know, and bouncing a little as she clapped in excitement.

"Amazing Shou-chan!" She started, "That was the first time you noticed in time, Congratulations." She put her cup down and moved to stand up, "How did you know? Was it the smell or the taste?"

"Taste, kind of," I replied, "I've gotten good at making the tea the same thickness every time since you started teaching me. That cup tasted weaker than it should have, like it was diluted." I smacked my lips together and searched my mouth with my tongue, trying to taste if there was still anything left, before glaring, "Don't you think it was a bit risky to do that today? You know it would be really embarrassing for us if I throw up in the middle of the memorial."

"Oh, don't worry! The dose this time would not make you throw up. You would just feel terrible for the rest of the day." She said matter-of-factly, walking to the door and looking for her shoes, "And speaking of the Memorial: clean up and get ready. We should be going soon."

There was no point getting mad. As far as she was concerned, this type of stuff was for my own good. She's probably even right. So I just sighed and started putting everything way. Once I was done, I followed Ayaka out the door of our small apartment.

* * *

It was strange, how everything was so quiet. I could hear our footsteps as we walked through the familiar path from our part of the village to the lake. There was no hustle or bustle as people bumped into one another as they worked to get to where they needed to be. No yelling or screaming of children as they played in the street, or the sounds of old ladies and gents hawking their goods and cooking on the side of the road, just a calm stillness. The few other individuals on the street were silent and moving in the same direction as we were.

I did not like it: the constant hum of humanity was something you get used to living in such close quarters for some many years. There were quiet spots in the village, yes, and they were quite enjoyable, but you had to go looking for them. For a place that was supposed to be so lively to be so dead was… discomforting.

We, as in Ayaka and I, had been walking quickly compared to the others, not in a panic, but with purpose, as we needed to get to our positions. It would have been pretty bad if we had lost such good spots because we got trapped at the back of the crowds. As we walked past people I noticed that everyone we passed was just wearing black but simple clothes instead of the fancier stuff we had on, but I did not know yet if that was because we were about to mingle with the big dogs or if it was just Ayaka's personal tastes shining through. Both were just as likely as each other.

Before long, the way opened to reveal the shore of the Lake and the great tide of humanity surrounding it. Practically everyone in the village, young and old, were there to pay respects to the honoured dead, and maybe even more importantly, to remind and be reminded of their place in Takigakure as for the most part, your standing in the village determined how close you stood to the centre of the event.

First, we passed the outer-layer, those who stood together on the high banks and edges of the lake. These consisted of the ones who had fallen out of favour with their clans, the ones with no family or history to back them, and the new members, the wandering ninja and refugees allowed in to add 'new blood' to Taki, but who would never be allowed to leave now that they were in, and would never be fully accepted until the day they died and their children and grandchildren carried on their name as good, full ninja of the Waterfall.

Past them the majority of the village was on the Lake. Some were using the water-walking skill, but most were taking it easy by sitting in boats or standing on pontoons that were brought out of storage just for this day. We walked to one such boat that was waiting by the lakeside. A young shinobi was in it, looking bored. While I did not recognise him, he had a passing resemblance to Josuke, especially with his bright orange hair, so I assumed he was our ride.

He was quick to snap to attention when he spotted us, or more likely when he spotted Ayaka walking up to him if the way his face had heated up and the aura of awkward nervousness was any indicator. As she went about explaining that we were the ones he was there for and he went about trying not to gock and splutter at her and fail, I peered out into the Lake to try and spot someone from my class among the boats, but while I think I had spied Taura with a family of five, they were too far away to be sure.

"Come along Shou-chan," Ayaka said, sitting inside of the boat as the Nijimura Clan member started pushing off. I quickly jumped in without much trouble, still too small to rock the boat over much.

For the next minute or two we just sat there, Ayaka and I in a comfortable silence and our rower with a lump in his throat. I spent my time looking around me.

It was interesting, slowly drifting past rows of people sitting and standing around us in the dwindling red-orange light of the evening. It had a sort of eerie otherworldliness to it, as if I was moving down the River Styx and they were soulless ghosts floating above the water, silent and watchful.

Eventually, we arrived at the centre island of the lake where the Great Tree sat, its giant roots taking up and towering over all of the landmass except a relatively small bay in front, the pavilion at the very top.

It was just before this beach that the two largest pontoons were placed with a path leading to the beach between them. A large crowd was gathered together on them, but you could tell they were standing in very particular groups if you knew what to look for. These were the major clans and our stop.

We paddled up to one of the larger groups left of centre and were greeted by a mountain pretending to be a man and his family. Josuke was at his side, the usually bulky looking boy looking tiny in comparison.

Nijimura Noriaki was the current head of his clan and he had the presence of someone you would expect with his level of authority. Older than expected of someone with a six-year-old son, the man's short cut hair was fully grey and there were the beginnings of crows feet around the eyes and mouth, but those were the only signs of ageing about the man. The man was probably 7 ft and ripped with arms thicker than my torso and there was probably not an inch of fat under his tanned formal kimono. But the thing that really stood out was his shocking blue eyes and the piercing intelligent gaze coming out of them. This was no muscle-bound brute.

Next to him and Josuke was a much younger woman, though still older than Ayaka, in a simple but finely made dress kimono, all black. She had blonde hair and Josuke's eyes, (oh wait, that's the other way around.) and pretty if hawkish features. I hated to admit it, but I didn't know her name. They looked at us warmly and a bit coolly respectively as we approached them, Josuke and myself meeting each other's eyes and waving in greeting, but not speaking as neither of us knew if we were allowed.

"Looky here! You must be the Fujimori family," Noriaki-san had a deep booming voice, even when he was trying to keep the volume down, and every word sounded like he was holding back a laugh. It was a naturally charming voice, "Well, well, no one warned me that our guest was such a beauty! If I had known, I would have gone and picked you up myself. A pleasure to meet you Fujimori-san" he leaned forward a little to meet Ayaka's eyes as he spoke, smiling roguishly. Ayaka giggled a little at this, hiding her mouth behind a dainty looking hand.

"Oh you flatter me, Nijimura-sama, but the pleasure is all mine," she flashed him a winning smile (No6, light and airy), and bowed respectfully, "Thank you for inviting my family to sit with you at such an event. It is a great honour." She rose from her bow, the usual smile flawlessly back in place.

I couldn't help but be surprised at how much the little differences changed things, but unlike at home when it was just the two of us, in public, when she was really putting the effect into it, I would not have been able to tell the real from the fake if I did not already have some idea on what to look for.

To some extent, I think she was letting me see past her fabrications, or at least as close as she would ever let anyone else see past them. It was sort of moving in a weird way.

"Nonsense," Josuke's mother joined in, leaning up next to her husband as she talked, "With how much time our boys spend together, we just had to get to know you both and this seemed like a good opportunity." She said, far friendlier than the cool looks would have suggested, even giving a polite little head nod. The less than subtle pinching of her husband's arm was something everyone noticed but chose to ignore.

"And you must be Shou-Kun, right?" Noriaki-san said as he squatted down next to me in that way that adults do to be at the same eye-level as the child they are talking. It didn't work as I still had to crane my neck to make eye contact, but good on him for trying, "You been looking out for my boy?" his hard eyes, so close to my face and judging, made me feel more nervous than I needed to be. But I did my best to not look away.

"H-He looks after me too sir. I m-mean yes sir! I have."

Lessons in articulation tend to be forgotten in the face of scary mountain-men. I needed more practice.

He just looked at me, taking my stock for a second more, before chuckling softly and messing my hair with a hand that could wrap around my head and crunch it, "That's great. Nothing more important than having someone who's got your back in this scary world," he stood back up and gave his legs a little pat down, "This hot-head is probably going to be more work than he is worth ", he pointed a thumb at Josuke who was pouting again, "But I'll ask ya to stick with him, that ok?"

I did not really know what to say to the grinning clan head. Didn't he know that trusting a Fujimori with your back is how a lot of people have died? What was he thinking? However, it was not like I was not going to keep an eye on Josuke anyway, so I just gave him a small nod.

With that, he rejoined the adults in quiet conversion as we waited for the main players to come and start this thing.

After thirty minutes or so, the muttering around us started to fall off as everyone started to pay attention to something happening behind us. Turning around, I spotted a group moving between the two pontoons towards the beach.

In front was the jounin of the Hidden Waterfall, marching in military formation on the still water. All forty-two of them were in full uniform, the blues and blacks fading together in the diminishing light of the evening. It was an incredible number of individuals at that rank when you realised jounin make up the top 1% of ninja in the world and along with the hidden entrance and the Hero's Water were one of Taki's three big claims to fame.

The jounin lined up on the shore of the beach in a line two ranks deep, all staring rigidly at the Pavilion.

Next to move up were the Heads of the Three Noble Clans and their close family members: the Makioka, the Hōjō, and the Taira, the three clans to first take shelter in this hidden place and who were the founding members of Takigakure. I could see Saori standing there next to her mother, trying to be as serious as she could. This group was the one to stand just under the Pavilion looking up.

Finally the last two and most important individuals started making their way through the crowd, every eye upon them: the descendants of the Sage of the Great Tree who first showed the way through the Waterfall. There was the Village Head Hisen-sama, a man with short smooth hair that was greying all on the outside with just the top of his head still having brown hair. He had a black Takigakure forehead protector on, his hair hang over the left and right sides of it and was wearing the chunin uniform. He also had small black-coloured eyes and a small brown-coloured goatee. Then, next to him was his son Shibuki-sama, a young teenager with long, dark brown hair and large soulful black eyes. He also had his forehead protector proudly displayed.

Even if it made sense considering where I was, it was still weird to think that these were the first characters from the story that I would lay eyes on, characters from some barely remembered throw away plotline and not ones that had more screen time or impact.

As they settled themselves in front of everyone, two helpers who appeared out of nowhere started opening some locks that were on the door of the Pavilion before opening the door and going inside. After a few seconds, they returned carrying a large, see-through urn and a closed box.

After carrying the box to the Village Head and setting it down before him and Shibuki-sama, they then moved to either side of the pair and quickly went through a series of hand seals and placed their hands down on the ground.

With a rumble, the ground underneath the Sage descendants rose into the air, high enough that even those at the very back would at least notice it, even if they could not really see what was happening.

Hisen-sama clears out his throat with a little bout of sickly coughing before speaking in a loud voice, some justus making it sound as if it was coming from right next to me.

"Today we gather in this place to honour those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for the continued prosperity of Takigakure," he said as he gazed out into the water, "Whether that be out in the field, performing missions to help support the village or in war, dying alongside our allies on behalf of a shared ideology or to repulse the aggressions of foreign invaders. Or, of course, those who have died in the defence of the village itself from siege and assault, either from wounds from battle or from the after effects of drinking the Hero's Water, these men and women chose the village and its people over themselves, becoming examples for us all." He stopped here and bowed his head, his eyes closed in a moment of silence that everyone in the crowd followed him in.

He then bent down and opened the box before him and took out five tiny glass bottles with little cork stoppers on top, "We are here not to just honour the heroes of the past, but also the heroes of the future. And to provide them with the tool for them to do their duty." And with that, he began to pour from the urn the Heroes Water, the ultimate weapon of the Waterfall, into each of the bottles.

The Hero Water. The single thing that turned Waterfall from an impressive stronghold into an impenetrable one. While the entrance of Taki was hidden, it was not like no one had a clue where it was. You can't have a location where Taki-nin are coming and going and not have someone put two and two together, it just meant that our enemies had to fight through or over the walls. Nor would forty or so jounin and a jinchūriki on their own stop an invasion from a major village. But the Hero Water? A substance that allows a ninja to have at least a ten-fold increase in chakra for a short period of time? Something that will let any chunin hold their own against even the strongest of ninja for the small price of shortening the user's life span? Yes, that would work. There was not a lot you could do against a village who, if push came to shove, could turn itself from a village of two thousand or more ninja to a village of two thousand or more _monsters_.

After he was done, he returned the full bottles back to the box and handed both the box and the urn to one of the helpers. The urn would be returned to the depths of the Great Tree where the Hero Water was produced and be jealously guarded by some of the elite of the village until the village was once again in danger. The box, however, would be left in the Pavilion, the small portion in it ready for any ninja of the village to take if they believed they needed it. Well in theory. In practice, you probably would have to jump a few hoops to even look at it, let alone be allowed to carry some out of the walls. For own good if nothing else, the cost of using it was not something to mess around with.

The rest of the memorial lasted for two hours or so, but most of it was not that different from other events of its type, just speech after speech. By the time it was over and everyone started shuffling to the boats, I was happy to be done.

When our boat arrived back to the other side of the lake, Ayaka and Josuke's mother started making their way back to the Nijimura compound, chatting away while Josuke, myself and Noriaki-san through the 'non-order' order of his wife, made a beeline to the little festival that was kicking off like we planned. Though Noriaki-san was looking a little depressed from essentially being shooed away by his wife, Josuke was happy about the turn of events, so I'd classify it as a good turn of events.

As I grabbed some cooked and cinnamoned Red Dragon fruit slices, my new favourite thing to eat when I could get my hands on it, Josuke started on the ball throw, while his dad watched over him.

I took a bite. It was amazing.

* * *

so this chapter was full of things that I find tricky to write (background infomation, a speech,lore building, etc.) so I geuss it was a good thing i had to practise it here.

It did take me awhile to think of a reason why Shibuki of all people would be made the head of a village, but once I went down the road of it being inherited, and why, things came together.

also, this chapter showed that while academically Shou knows that Ayaka is pretty, just how pretty she is has been going over his head.


	8. Chapter 6

This is the new Chapter!

Thanks to Cezyou for Beta'ing again.

Don't own Naruto

* * *

"I see you're up sleepy head!"

Ayaka was slipping on her chunin vest and shoes on top of one of the more chipper smiles before she walked over to the table and threw a bag that was on it at me. "Here's your lunch Shou-chan! Grab something to eat and then head off. Try not to be late for school, okay?"

"Thanks." I snatched it out of the air and slogged my way over to the kitchen, still not fully awake. My mother was rushing back and forth, gathering things that I was sure she didn't need for whatever she was doing that day. She kept everything prepacked and sorted for different tasks, in lines and rows of identical satchels. "Why did you let me sleep in? I thought we were going to work on fake accents this morning," I set the kettle on the stove to boil some water. "What's the rush?"

"Mommy needs to start going on longer mission again Shou-chan, the jobs around the village don't pay as much as the ones outside. So I've gone back on the away roster part-time." She stopped in front of the mirror by the door, and started combing her hair with a thick brush. "And I have just been called to the missions office. Don't worry, it will only be every so often. But I'll be gone for three or so days, and Ichiko-san has agreed to let you have dinner at their place when this happens, so go home with Josuke after school."

"Are we having money problems?" I asked a bit startled. I didn't notice anything that would point to it, but I did not have any real access to the finances as a kid so it was possible that I'd missed something. "I don't need an allowance then, I mostly use it on street food anyway."

"Oh, Shou-chan," her voice changed as she said that, lightening and becoming wistful like there was nothing else in the world to care about, and then she paused, tilted her head, and gave me smile No. 6, variant 3; lips closed, eyebrows up, eyes replicating fond amusement. I remembered this one. Ayaka had said that it was 'mostly for placating someone who really didn't understand why you had to leave after one night.'

"We have plenty of money in the bank. And the Village gives income support to families with very young children or in training. We can easily live off it if we are careful." She walked over and patted me on my head, No. 6 unwavering except for a slight but designed wateriness. "But I don't want to be careful, I want one of those red-silk dresses old lady Sato has for sale and to drink fancy sake when I feel like it," and with that remark she walks back to the door and opens it, turning back to give me a little shrug of the shoulders. She wiped off No. 6 and replaced it with her original chipper and cheerful No. 8. "So sadly I will have to keep working," she gives me a little wave and a wink, "Take care and try not to burn the house down." And with a small slam of the door, she was gone.

The abruptness of the departure was a little too much for my sleep addled brain, so I just ended up staring at the door for a moment or two as I processed, a little upset, but not sure why. Eventually, I shuffled over to the now whistling kettle, made myself a cup of tea and then shuffled back over to the table with it and set it down. Then I made my way back over to the kitchen while the tea was cooling and looked in the fridge for something to make breakfast. If I was in the mood I would once again wonder: how Taki had running electricity, rationed and only at certain times in a day but still present; how things functioned on such carefully controlled amounts of energy. But I wasn't in the mood for that, so I wouldn't.

Not feeling up to making something fancy, I ended up just frying some rice and then mixing in peas, butter and a pinch of salt. Sitting back down at the table, I pick up my tea and took a sip. Instantly feeling ten times more awake, I gave out a little sigh of bliss.

Human once more, I quickly ate up my breakfast and packed my lunch and books into my bag before I put on my shoes and headed out the door. I paused to look around.

Our apartment was all the way on the fifth floor of the complex, the door opening out to an exterior hallway looking out towards the lake if only there was not another apartment complex in the way. There was a railing to keep people from tripping off and falling all the way to the ground, not that that mattered to some of the population.

Usually at this point I would have walked over to the spiral staircase that was at the left of the building to get down. But lately, I'd been using a different option.

An excited and unstructured grin pulled at my lips as I flooded my legs with chakra and vaulted over the railing to plummet to the ground, the wind rushing past my body as I twisted mid-air so my feet were facing down.

As I got nearer the ground I started pooling most of the chakra into my thighs, ankles and feet. When I hit the ground I could feel the force being absorbed as I landed with barely a sound instead of breaking all my bones.

Then without pause I, for lack of a better word, 'threw' my chakra forward and up in my body as I leapt into the air, flying up as far as the third floor of the next complex, level with one of the hanging balconies.

I then moved most of that Charka to my arms, and grabbed onto the side of the balcony and moved into a handstand that I pushed out of and back into the air, passing the top of the complex and onto the roof, spinning and twisting to get myself the right way up before I landed, and then leaping to the roof of the next building.

And so I went, over houses and shops, under walkways and power lines, and even though one set of windows, stopping to say hi and check up on old man Ranmaru-san in his living room like every other morning. As I went, I twisted, turned and flipped partly for the fun of it, and partly because I hadn't quite mastered controlling my body's placement in the air yet.

I still got a surge of joy every time I ran around like this. The others thought that I was a bit weird for just how much I still got excited when we trained this skill. To them, maybe it was the equivalent of learning to drive a car. Enjoyable for most, but something that was just a part of the ninja world.

But for me, it was an impossibility made real. A reminder that this really is a world of amazing and terrifying things. But at least there are some good things.

After five minutes of jumping I landed in front of the training building and walked into the classrooms to my favourite seat in the middle with time to spare before class, plopping down on the bench. Still holding that same delighted smile on my face.

* * *

 _"So, if there is a 'Tsu' here, and my guess that they're using a Lightning military code is right, then… this one?"_ I stared down at the problem on the worksheet as I flipped through a codebook with both hands and referenced the dictionary lying on my part of the table. It was a free period in class and while some were using the time to talk and mess around, some students were taking the chance to make progress on some of our built-up workloads.

Codes were fast becoming one of my least liked subjects very quickly. They're not that hard per say, since if you had the cypher, it was more math than language, but it can take a long time to get through them. If that was all, then I would have been fine.

No, the real problem was the jargon. We had to learn how to use codes and understand them, and the language used in them. They used real examples, all of which were official and/or military in nature, and it was at a much higher reading capability then everything else we were learning at the time. Every new message that I had to decipher seemed to have had at least thirty new symbols that I had never seen before. All the dictionaries were constantly in use.

"I can finally hit the bullseye every time!" said someone from behind me, brimming with pride.

"So? I'm still kicking your ass in taijutsu, you can't brag until you're as good as me!" was the smug reply from his friend.

"Pff, as good as you? I'd rather go for being as good as those three Oni." The first replied the quickly, which leads to the second guy getting offence and starting up an argument.

 _"Ok, I think I got it,"_ I looked down at what I had worked out some far, nodding to myself, _"It's definitely based on that basic Lightning code. Now I just have to take each stroke and put it through the cypher and write down the new stroke on a page. It's just busy work for the next bit…"_

"Nu uh, it could totally work! You just need to get the right spin as you jump," Josuke argued next to me, waving his arm at the piece of paper he was writing an amazingly detailed hand-drawn diagram onto.

"I didn't say it couldn't work. I said it's fucking stupid, that's not the same thing.", Saori responded with a sour face, "Why the fuck would you try spinning like a top as you slash when you can just cut the fucking guy like normal?"

"Language", I muttered next to them as I worked on my copying, more out of reflex by now than paying attention. Ever since she heard her older brother use that word, she'd been peppering her sentences with it whenever she thought she could get away with it without an adult hearing. I was confident she didn't even know what 'fuck' meant.

"Whatever, Shou." I'd been dismissed once again, how cruel. "Why don't you tell him I'm right? Jumping at someone while spinning wouldn't make your attack stronger, it would just leave you more open. It's bad taijutsu."

"You're just not seeing it," Josuke was quick to retort. "If you're spinning fast enough it will create force, which will make your attacks stronger." He turned to me. "Right Shou? Tell 'er I'm right."

I glanced up and wondered if I should have pointed out that the Inuzuka clan did have a move like that, but decided against it as I had no way to explain why I would know that. Instead, I just went with, "It would work, but with the power you need for it, it's probably more ninjutsu territory than taijutsu." There, a nice safe answer where everyone wins.

"Boo," they replied as one, both giving me a deadpan, unimpressed stare, before going back to arguing as if I was not there. Predictable. Whatever.

 _"Okay. Now all I need to do is figure out what this all means."_ One of the trickiest things about written Japanese is using dictionaries. As what something means is contextual, you not only needed to find the symbol but figure out which meaning of that symbol was the one you wanted.

"Dance, my minions, DANCE! Mwahahah…" There was some manic cackling from the other side of the room. The individual it was coming from bounced a little in his seat as almost everyone around him tried to pretend to ignore him.

"A-ah, T-Tetsuo-kun? They're just rubbers with straws in them for limbs," Rokuro said with a nervous smile, readjusting his glasses as he looked at the other boy, "P-plus I'm the one making them move, so they're, ah, sort of my minions, not yours?" He said the last bit as he looked at the hand he was holding out above the moving rubbermen as they did their coordinated jig, his fingers twitching madly.

Tetsuo just signed in response and gave the other boy a pleading gaze. "Look, man," he replied, "that's not the point. If you have an opportunity to say something like 'X, my minions, X!' then you take it, details be darned. You understand?"

"…yes?"

 _"Yes! Got it, this one stands for 'barracks' and this one for 'shifts', so they must be talking about watch-rotations, now even if I can't read some of the words, I should be able to 'deduce' what they are from the words around them."_ This was the most satisfying part of my process, when enough of the pieces are found that the rest of them start to fall into place.

"…and then I would have kept him from dying like that!" Taura, who is sitting in front of me tells her friend.

 _"And with that,"_ I think to myself as I sit back in my chair, _"I should just about be…wait, what?"_ I stare at the two girls in front of me with shock as I realised what I just overheard, and started giving them the attention that I was not quite giving the rest of the room before. I was straining to hear so I could figure out what exactly they were on about, because it sure as hell sounded interesting.

"I mean, the trap was so obvious," she began, the redhead putting a finger up in the air as if lecturing. "It's just that Masakazu-san was too honourable to turn down the duel. If I was there, I would have told him how to avoid it, or put down some exploding tags the night before if he still was going to go through with it."

"Ya," her friend continued. "And if he survived then he could have joined Tsukuyaku, Shishimaru and Princess Fūn for the final fight with Lord Hirohito, and they would have won soo much easier!"

Oh, I think as I relaxed in my seat. They were talking about the first (only, at the moment) Princess Fūn movie. That had been playing in that house that had been turned into a little theatre. Not an actual murder. Still, there was a part of what they were saying that was still holding my attention, an easy to guess part at that.

"But it would be scary won't it?" the friend continued, putting her finger to her lip as she thought. "Getting involved in all of that. If I suddenly found myself there, knowing all about the dangerous bits, I might just hide somewhere safe."

"No way," Taura shook her head, "Masakazu-san was my favourite character and just a really good guy. If I was in a place to help him, there is no way I wouldn't, no matter how scary. I'm not that selfish." She nods her head and her own reasoning, arms crossed in front of her. Case closed.

"But wouldn't that be even more selfish?" I feel the words leave my mouth before I could even really think about it, their head turning in surprise at my interruption. "To risk everything for someone that might not even appreciate your meddling if they knew what you were risking?"

"…what?" was the reply from both girls.

"How do I put it?" I said this as I leaned forward and rested my elbows on the table with my hands cupping my chin to mull over my words. "The Adventure of Princess Fūn had a happy ending. Not a perfect one, as a few people die, some important like Masakazu, and some not, but overall things ended about as well as can be expected given all the circumstances. If anything, it should have ended with far more deaths and pain then there were."

I sat up a little and looked down at my hands, now balled up as I thought hard. "But, if say, someone came along and told Masakazu that they know a future where if they did not get involved, Lord Hirohito would definitely be defeated, while Masakazu would definitely die, but they chose to save them..."

"And so because Masakazu was saved, Lord Hirohito might not be defeated." My hands were just a little white now, and a muscle in my jaw was going to work, "Ya, Masakazu can now be at the fight, that is easy to predict and that seems like a change for the good, but what about the reaction? Will Lord Hirohito still do the same thing and arrogantly meet them on the battlefield? Maybe. But he might not let his guard down the same way as he did in the original timeline, or he might bring more allies this time, or even decide not to fight at all with such a skilled fighter present, and run away. Too many possibilities. If Masakazu knows that his survival put so much in the air do you think he would be happy? ...I don't think so. I think he would be furious."

I sighed as I closed my eyes and slumped a little in my chair. Somehow just saying that out loud made me tired like I'd lost some vital energy, and in turn, some of the tension that had built up. "I mean, if it had a tragic end, or even a proper bitter-sweet one; a classical tragedy of mistakes and misunderstanding leading to the worst result, then it would be entirely different. It would be wrong to not get involved, to not change things…. But again, it was not a tragic end, but a good one."

"No," I said firmly, as determination fills me, "risking the happy ending, when so much is at stake if things go wrong, for the sake of preventing a personal tragedy or three is not just wrong, it's selfish to the point of wickedness: the act of a villain."

Settled on my decision, I open my eyes to see that the whole room was still, turned towards me and staring, and I realised that not only was that rant said aloud, but also loudly.

"A-ahaha…." I laughed softly as I looked around at everyone, scratched the back of my head, and gave a nervous grin. "I uh, really like the movie…" was the only reply I could give as I sank under my desk, face slowly going a bit red.

Luckily the attention span of seven and eight-year-olds meant that it was not long before everyone went back to their distractions, to be forgotten in a day or two.

That did not save me from the teasing from those sitting next to me for the rest of the class, or having to explain what I'd meant by 'classical tragedy' to those who came up to me and asked.

* * *

"Tiger, Boar, Ox, Dog…" Chakra flowed as I carefully worked my fingers through the basic clone jutsu. I started by gathering my chakra into my hands as I made a seal, to create a pattern in it, and then pushing that 'patterned' chakra back into my body. Then I repeated the process with each seal to layer the patterns on top of each other to make a matrix, and that turned the raw energy into a new, usable form, to be released with the last seal.

Well, that was the idea. What actually happened was that I sort of felt a knotty feeling in my stomach and left arm. Then that pattern just kind of collapsed in on itself and the jutsu fizzled out before anything actually happened.

"G-Good try, you h-have the order right, and your chakra is f-flowing well," Hiraoka-sensei said. He studied me, with his glasses glinting softly as they slipped down his nose. "It's just p-practice now, don't get discouraged. T-these things take time. Getting a jutsu down on the first day is a rarity." His piece said, Hiraoka-sensei moved on to a different spot on the field. Over there I saw Rokuro and Saori working on the technique. Rokuro was, like most things with chakra, having a bit more luck than the rest of us, in that he was making a whiteish blob with hair rather than nothing. Saori was poking that blob with a stick and grinning as she chattered away at the boy, half congratulating, half teasing.

Josuke was probably around somewhere near the trees, but for once I was happier to stay on my own for this class. I really didn't feel like watching him figure out the jutsu in less than one hour when it'd probably take most people weeks. Even if he will be happy to use what he figured out to help me with my technique.

That shit got depressing sometimes.

Still, nothing changes unless you do something about it. So, I sat down on the grass cross-legged, and worked through the sequence of hand seals, again and again. I only stopped for a few minutes whenever I started to feel a bit light headed, not having that much chakra to throw around yet. But I didn't get much in the way of results.

"You're not being sharp enough in your moulding," came a gravelly, bored voice from behind me.

I jumped before I leaned around and looked up towards the sound to see a man in his early thirties with sleepy eyes. His hitai-ate hung from his neck and he dressed in the standard Jounin uniform, though it was a bit more faded and frayed than usual; the only things that really gave him a bit of uniqueness were the 5 o'clock shadow and shaggy black hair in a half-ponytail, and the only thing about the man that was in perfect condition, a long katana whose hilt poked up from over his shoulder.

Overall, he gave the impression of a stereotypical bachelor too lazy to look after himself right, but at least avoided looking homeless.

His name was Kono Keiki, and he was the latest 'volunteer' teacher for the class. Not really having anything to say to his comment outside of a stupid 'huh?' or 'what?', I instead just gave him a questioning look to convey an interest. A real one.

He gave a little 'hmmm' and scratched his chin, making a show of musing on how to explain it in a way that a 'kid' would understand. "When you do the seals, your timing is wrong. You fill your hands then do the seals, or you do'em, then fill your hands with chakra. You need to do both at once."

Here he stops to nod to himself a little at his own advice.

"Stamping a pile of papers, yeah. Don't rock the stamp on the paper or leave it there or drag the stamp along to the next page. You hit it down and then lift it up before going to the next one," he bent down a little and grabbed my collar, lifting me up onto my feet like I weighed nothing. "Seals are the same, fill your hands with the chakra and clamp it with the seal at the same time. Fast, one movement. Got it?" Then he gave me a little 'hurry it up' motion with the same bored look he had at the start; as if _I_ was the one who walked up to _him_ and started pestering him.

But, even if some people would be annoyed, I still ended up bracing myself and go through the seals one more time. This time I 'stamped' the chakra like he said. At first, there didn't feel like there was any difference—just the same knotty feeling in my stomach and left side—but instead of collapsing like some of my past attempts, the pattern kind of caught on to something and pulled itself out of my side.

A sudden rush of tiredness came over me.

Looking towards the spot where the chakra went I saw…a pathetically small blob with something that sort of, might of, maybe looked like my nose in the centre. Still, a smile wormed its way onto my face as I looked at it. As pathetic as it was, that was the most progress I've seen the whole day. Craning my head back to look at Kono-sensei (why are Jounin so tall? Granted, most adults are taller than 7-year-olds, but Jounin always feel taller than most.), "That works way better! Thank you, Kono-sensei," I said to the man with my best bright smile.

"No problem kid," was his simple reply. I watched him turn around and slouch off to one of the treelines around the field, muttering, "There, I helped one of them. Now he can't complain if I take a little nap, right?" before he disappeared in a body flicker.

For the rest of the lesson, I and most of the class did not make much more progress on the jutsu, and it ended up being a boring time. The only interesting bits were when Hiraoka-sensei dragged me off to the side to confirm that, yes, Kono-sensei did, in fact, help me, and no, he did not spend the whole class napping in a tree. (If I made it seem like he spent more than the minute or two that he did in helping me, well, it's always good to have a Jounins goodwill.)

There was also the time when a slightly transparent Josuke with arms for legs and legs for arms ran through the middle of the field, mouth open in a silent scream as it flew passed before abruptly disappearing. It was not long after that unsettling scene that Hiraoka-sensei called it quits, and sent us back to the classroom to clean up, and then set our homework.

It was as we were finishing up and people had started to leave that I noticed that Kono-sensei was still at the front desk, working through a large pile of worksheets with a frown and an air of annoyance. I stopped where I was and contemplated on whether it was worth an attempt. On one hand, it hadn't worked for anyone else I've tried, and with what I've seen today Kono Keiki was not a motivated individual. On the other hand, he showed that for what little bit of teaching he felt like doing, he was pretty good at it.

Well, at the end of the day, the worst that could happen if I tried asking him for a mentorship or some lessons would be that he'd say no. Might as well try.

I went up to his desk and waited for him to acknowledge me. I took a quick peek at what was on the sheets. I think it was some type of day review form. Not even ninja could escape the clutches of bureaucracy.

After a bit, he paused in his work to look up at me, a slightly annoyed frown tugging at his lips, "Yeah, kid?"

I started off keeping a certain amount of bright energy in my voice. "I just wanted to thank you again for the help earlier today." People are more engaged if they think that yourself are engaged with what you're saying, though you can't overdo it. "The way you explained it really made it make sense to me."

"Like I said, it was no problem, I was happy it helped," he said. He didn't look any happier at all. If anything, his frown was a twitch bigger as his eyes give me a quick, considering scan. He must already be guessing where I was trying to lead this conversation. "If that's all you wanted I need to get back to my work." Better cut to the chase.

"Ah, well, I was wondering if it might be possible to get you to help me a little more after classes?" I rushed to say the rest before he shut me down. "Just a few lessons maybe, just an hour or two a week or something, I can pay you for the time or work out someth—" I stopped when he held his hand up and he let a slightly pinched expression cross his face. After a moment he just lets out a sigh.

"Look, kid, what's your name?"

"Fujimori Shou sir". I don't bother with the energy of before. I wasn't really interested anymore now that it was obvious that he was going to say no. Can't even feel upset about it. You should always expect long shots to miss.

"Ok Shou-Kun, look," he must be trying to be gentle with his tone, "While I'm flattered, I haven't even decided whether I'll be teaching again after my last bunch, let alone looked at any of your classes files. Most Jounin don't even start scouting at this stage, I'm sure next year someone..." He stopped there, as if he just reconsidered something, and squinted at me.

"Wait, you said Fujimori right?", he asked, and I nodded in reply, "You related to Fujimori Ayaka?"

"Yeah, that's my mom," I said. I was a little surprised at him bringing Ayaka up in the conversation, and at his obvious renewed interest.

He hummed to himself a little bit as he sat there with a hand on his chin. "Well..." Then he gave a giant put-upon sigh while developing an even more pained expression that instantly made me suspicious. (If someone starts looking more exploited after they changed their mind from when they were going to say no, you can bet they're up to something.) "How about this? I've gotten unfortunately busy lately with duties inside and outside the village, so I don't have a lot of free time. But if you do some of my chores for me, like food shopping or laundry or whatever, I'll have some more time."

He gave me a little wink.

"And if I use a little of that time, say, two to three hours a week, to teach you a thing or two, as long as I'm in the village, we both win, right?" He held out his hand to me and gave a little tired smile, "How about it, sound fair?"

I hesitated. On the one hand, that was way too quick of a one-eighty and I don't know what it is he is really trying to get out of this. Blind deals were always iffy even if I was confident that it at least wasn't anything malicious. On the other hand, this was the only deal I'd even come close to getting, and it's not like I can't just back out. No one would be surprised if a seven-year-old quit what is essentially a paperboy-esque job.

It all came back to the fact that it was me who came up to him.

I took his hand and shook.

* * *

On the way home from training there was this little walled garden-park hidden away between a bunch of busy administration buildings, whose surrounding thick bushes and small trees somehow blocked both the view and all sounds in and out, creating the illusion of being out in nature right in the middle of the concrete village.

A small place, the inside consisted of two greens split with a winding path for people to walk through. On the left near one end was a little flower patch, not well looked after—in an overgrown way rather than a dead one. It burst with not just decorative flowers, but also an assortment of weeds and tall grasses. A good gardener would have probably had a fit looking at it, but I kind of liked its wild liveliness. On the other end, with two long benches and a small round stone table, was a nice place to sit and spend your time relaxing.

On the whole right side, there was a flat, open space with a single lonely hitting post in the middle, pockmarked from old kunai and shuriken wounds. The spot was only big enough for self-practise, going over taijutsu forms or something, not sparring. I thought it was probably put there for the office-ninja around the area to keep in shape, but just like the park itself, it was half-forgotten.

At the very back of the hidden garden was the reason this place was probably made, and why it was kept at all.

A giant snaking root sprouted from the ground, one of the roots of the Great Tree, which showed that no matter how big it was above ground, its true mass was under us. The coil arched twenty feet in the air at one point, then bent and dug itself back into the soil, shaded by the overhanging branches of some of the smaller trees.

Overall a perfect little getaway. And because it was tucked away in a place everyone was too busy to use, I could pretty much use it how I wanted.

I usually did use the training spot to work on my taijutsu or throwing, or on dry days used the table to do homework, but I also liked to take a rest every so often. If I had just headed straight home, first I would have had to train with Ayaka or do chores or something before I could sit down. This place was for a little me time, and I think I deserved it today.

I walked up to the root, sat down and stretched out, leaning with my back up against the base of the root and placing my hands behind my head as I closed my eyes and relaxed.

Not only did I make a lot of progress on my first jutsu, but I had gotten myself a few lessons from a Jounin on top of my own family training, if I could convince Kono-sensei that I'm worth the effort. As long as whatever it was he was trying to get wasn't problematic, I might just have secured myself a path right up to my genin exam.

Though, past that? We'd see… where I would end up would depend on what type of team a Jounin wanted. No matter where I placed in the academy, first or dead-last, with my family background and training I was going to slot into the support role in a team, or as a member of a support team. Maybe Information gathering or tracking.

Not that I minded, those seemed like they would be comfy gigs for a ninja.

There I will hopefully stay until I'm trained up enough for Chunin and sent off to a specialist department. Intelligence maybe?... I hope not infiltration and/or assassination.

Or the Jounin decided that I was going to be a forever Genin and gave up, but let's be optimistic and ignore that outcome.

Infiltration was supposed to be as dangerous as a frontline fighter and ten times as stressful, and the second… I was a lot more comfortable with the idea of killing these days, but still... Conditioning tended to work, even if you're aware of it, but there was still a difference between 'killing because you had to', and 'what you had to do was killing'. I would like to avoid that level of… I would like to avoid it.

I huffed out a breath, before breathing in more of the floral woodsy smell of the tree.

I sighed and wriggled in my spot a bit, trying to make myself a bit more comfortable. I sank down, half laying on the grass by that point.

"Maybe if I show that I'm pretty ok in a fight on top of everything else I can work as a retainer?"

Retainers were the ninja who were sent out by the village to guard people of interest or who were wealthy enough that they could afford to pay the Village long term for the manpower. Ranging from the daimyō and his family to well-off merchants, retainers had to not only be decent at the combat aspect of the ninja life, but it was even more important that they have some idea of politics and etiquette so they did not end up embarrassing the client or the Village, so they were recruited from the support ranks and less important members of the big clans rather then the combat ranks most of the time.

"Ya, that doesn't sound so bad…" I muttered to myself. A safe, comfortable job looking after some minor lord, keeping them away from bandits and such before retiring with loads of money was about as good a life plan as anything else. It's not like I care enough about that story to get involved. And it's not like it affects me in any way.

 _"If I was in a place to help him, there is no way I wouldn't, no matter how scary. I'm not that selfish." She nods her head at her own reasoning, arms crossed in front of her. In a memory there are all kinds of details you didn't realise you saw, like how as she pulls her head back up from the bounce, the tendons in her neck tense and twitched..._

Okay, so the whole end of the world by evil space god thing would, in fact, affect me, but I already made my point about that, with something so big at risk, and with how close everything was at the end, causing any ripples is more likely to do damage than make things better. The smart thing would be to let things play out like they should.

 _"How do you know you did not change things already? Is it not just as arrogant to think everything will be the same?"_ The question bubbled up to the front of my mind unwanted. I frowned at it a little but otherwise did not react.

Prophecy, fate, reincarnation. The narrative of Naruto was filled with things that sort of implied the presence of some type of destiny or overarching divine plan. There were (are?) things that are meant to happen, things that could be changed with active effort, but not things that just existing would challenge.

Or alternately, if just existing changes things, then by the time I would have been able to do anything, everything would have changed to the point that it would not matter what I know.

Maybe I'm just making excuses, but it was all so… abstract and far away. Yes, it could affect me, but only in the way a nuclear crisis or another world war would have affected me in that past life. It would have scared me, but I would not have jumped to join the army if I was not forced to. I would have trusted that other people would have been working on it and get on with my life, like I'm doing here. I just didn't have a personal reason to get involved.

 _...risking the happy ending, when so much is at stake if things go wrong, for the sake of preventing a personal tragedy or three is not just wrong, it's selfish to the point of wickedness: the act of a villain."_

I simply didn't have a reason to be selfish. Takigakure was not part of that end-game, so no one I did or might care about would be personally involved. There was no tragedy I wanted to stop enough to risk myself or the world.

I heard a loud cracking, snapping sound followed by a quieter brushing.

I was about to look up, but before I was even done registering the sounds I was already hit. A heavy weight crashed into my stomach.

the air was flow out of me from my mouth and left me winded as the weight pressed me into the ground. I was left gasping for air and more stunned then in pain.

Then the shock ended and the pain came, not a sharp, quick pain, but a dull, lasting one. Like something was reaching inside of you and squeezing. A throbbing that stuck to you.

I blindly pushed the thing off and rolled away, 'It' gave a little 'eep' as I did so. The feeling of the hardwood of the root was replaced with the soft sensation of the grass then the open air as I got up onto my hands and knees, now facing were I once was and looked up, taking the chance to stop and take a good look at what exactly 'it' was.

'It' had the shape of a girl, a bit younger than myself. She was a small thing, and thin. Not from malnourishment, just as someone who was meant to be built that way. As she picked herself off the floor and onto her hands and knees as well she looked back at me and stared in concentration. I found myself staring at her eyes: they were her most distinctive feature, wide and orange and pupil-less, color-matched to a hair clip and framed by mint hair.

Her mouth made an 'oh' shaped expression, before morphing into the widest, most stupidly open grin I had ever seen.

I stared incredulously at the idiot who literally fall out of a tree and gave her an angry glare. I was still gulping in air greedily, but figured I could spare some air. If I were a civilian or didn't train much...

"What the hell are you doing!" I yelled, pointing dramatically at her chest to get my point across, "we could have been really hurt!"

She stared at me for a few more moments before pointing dramatically at my chest and chirping an answer.

"Hi, I'm Fū! Who the hell are you?"

* * *

so the end of this arc and Fū has been added to the story, though I doubted anyone did not expect it.

sorry this part took so long, life got in the way.

so things I learned this Arc?; story needs more conflict, will try to deliver. there may be a little Interlude first, but the need main chapter will be another time-skip. and the characters(including Shou) will be starting to show more individuality in there fighting styles than just the basics, so let's hope that makes thing more interesting

and to those who post reviews, thank you, I don't reply much, but I do read them. so keep them coming.


	9. Interlude 1: Different Perspectives

so here is the next Chapter in full, sorry for the late update, life, you know?

Thank you to cezyou, who not only Beta read this one, but improved it to the point of co-writing it.

so the first different POVs, and it's the long waited Ayaka POV! And as expected it started out creepy and got creepier as it went...

Interlude 1: Different Perspectives

* * *

Dropping down without making a sound behind a distracted woman was not even child's play for Fujimori Ayaka, especially while the target was getting dressed. Walking down the street would have been as hard for her as sneaking up on this background character. She could have dressed herself in, inspected, and then disrobed from every item from the target's closet in the same amount of time as the target took to struggle through basic colour matching. She almost did—even a creature as boring as this must have stolen one or two specks of beauty—but she waited for the perfect moment anyway. She was a professional with a script to follow, after all.

Hovering just out of sight of the make-up hand mirror, Ayaka whispered in the woman's ear, "Excuse me, what does this taste like?" The target's face was ugly in surprise—Ayaka slammed her right hand forward, depositing a vial into the target's mouth, before clamping it shut and lifting her up into the air with the same hand so that her struggling would not knock into anything and make noise. Ayaka felt two cracks as she squeezed to release the liquid within: first the woman's jaw, and then the vial. It wouldn't take long after that. She'd broken the target's face, after all, and a face was for smiling.

Ayaka did not really understand the point of canned 'witty' dialogue when the only audience was going to be murdered, but sensei used to do it, and people had always liked his character, so she had added it to her own.

While she felt the background character's focused struggling turn into wild convulsing, Ayaka mused on whether or not she should start adding that trait to her little actor's character…no, she should probably wait and focus on getting him out of those boring hoodies and into more refined clothes first. Then she could...ah! The target had stopped, and didn't even soil herself. A perfect outcome.

Moving the body to a better spot she stripped it of its dresses and placed them over herself. The poison saved her the effort of hiding the bloodstains. She laid her own clothing in a neat stack on the table in the corner before casually dumping the body in a closet. Ayaka would have to come back here anyway so she could put it with the rest later.

Picking up the mirror and box of face paints from where they had dropped, Ayaka started to apply the thick white base, red lipstick, and black accents of the current fashion around the eyes and eyebrows, with her own tricks added to better match the background characters looks. Then she tucked her hair, already dyed black, into the traditional shimada hairstyle the former background character was known to prefer.

Ayaka made her way out of that room, gathering from its stand the shamisen she would need for the part, and into the main hall of the house in the yūkaku, just another maiko level geisha on her way to the private tea rooms of the local minor lord.

* * *

 _"The performances really have been quite inconsequential these days, haven't they?"_ Ayaka thought to herself as she looked over the tea room full of bodies. They were mostly men, but with a handful of woman, one other geisha and 'other' types of characters, all twisted into that funny way those who die in pain set themselves in. Today's antagonist somehow put himself in a particularly bizarre shape. Ayaka had something that would have done the job painlessly, and with no unneeded casualties, but the client wanted to make a point, and what the director wants, the director gets.

Ayaka still sighed inside even as she readied herself to leave with one of her preferred smiles still in place. A boring story about a boring revenge with boring and unimportant characters. The only reason she was working these silly plays was that they were short and close to home, so she could continue to spend time with her little actor.

She still remembered when she first felt the warm glow. Not when he was born—when he was the baby he was just another tool for the job, and one she might have smothered if ordered, even there on the birthing bed. The first time she felt the glow was later, one of the times she had brought him to her apartment to 'spend time with him'. To check up on an asset, really.

It was around the time he was three or four and he was just starting to talk in full, proper sentences. He had looked up at her with a big smile and a "Hi! it's great to see you mommy, I missed you so much, I love you!"

The first full, proper sentence that he ever said to me were a lie, and a clumsy one at that.

But it was interesting, so she started watching him. It was all a lie, everything he did, from the way he used the toys he was given to the way he rejected food. He was playing a role every minute of every second.

 _"Just like me."_ she had thought.

For a moment she had thought she was looking into a strange little mirror or a pond. Like she was looking at her own fuzzy reflection, and she was besotted.

* * *

Ayaka was in her own clothes again and back on the road after the first body was added to the pile. She had idly thought about taking the shamisen with her but decided against it. It was, ultimately, the product of some petty local craftsman instead of coming from River, Wind, or even Snow. Instead, she opted to use her wagasa umbrella to block the sun. She thought it did a good job in adding elegance to her character and the ones imported from Grass, like her own, had so many useful tricks.

As she passed a farmer on his wagon she gave him a little dip of her head and flashed smile No.27: eyes near shut, and corners crinkled, lips closed and pulled up into a large U shape, happy and friendly but almost strained to be not inviting, a gift for a passing stranger. A face was for smiling, after all.

The young man blushed and waved back as he passed. With that, she knew he would not be able to connect the image of the beautiful, friendly woman with the grisly story he would hear tomorrow and so would not think to come forward and tell anyone about her when asked if he saw anyone strange that day. She continued on at her relaxed pace.

 _"Maybe I should try to get a matching umbrella for my little actor?"_ she wondered. One identical to her own. The idea that there would be one more thing that would be the same about them delighted her. Or would it be too feminine for a boy to use?

Since first seeing a bit of herself in her little actor, adding to the similarities had become one of Ayaka's favourite things to do. The more he used the skills she taught him, that he started making choices she would make, and displayed mannerisms that he learned from her, the more she got that little thrill that made her feel so warm and proud inside. Ayaka had heard of 'painting someone in your own colours' before, but she could never have known that it was such a wonderful thing to be the screenwriter instead of an actor.

Especially for how hard fought every little change was. Shou from the start didn't have any strong feeling towards her, Ayaka had known that, and she had known that he would try to fight any overt pushes from her.

But that was fine, the indifference was so like her that it was cute too! And she had plenty of time to work on him so that he would accept her more fully. It was not like he really had a choice, so it was all fine. Yes.

No, the umbrella really was too feminine, and getting him a different one would defeat the purpose. Really, she felt such a rage inside every time she realised that long hair and dresses were never going to be possible no matter what she tried. Too much of his father's masculine, imperfect figure mixed in with her own, why, she remembered wanting to run all the way to the man, wrapping her hands around his neck and…

She stopped in her walking. She continued on at her relaxed pace.

Yes. Yes. She smiled, faces are for smiling.

 _"Right. The father. That's something I do need to deal with soon,"_ Ayaka thought unhappily, though, like always, she kept it off her face. A face was for smiling, after all.

Maybe she could pass dealing with that character to some other actress? No, that would not work, he had never met her little actor and all his fondness for the boy was based on his fondness for her. He might lose his interest in the little actor if he moved on, and might stop seeing him as his 'child' and instead as a 'problem'. A problem he might ask the village to 'fix'.

Too bad, that she could not just kill him.

Ayaka would have almost felt amusement at the irony, if she was one hundred percent sure what ironic amusement was supposed to feel like. A baby was supposed to be another leash around his neck to her, not a chain around hers to him.

No, she'd have to start working with that important character again, which means she'd have to start speeding up training with the child. She would need to be spending even less time with her little actor, and leave the rest in the hands of...Kono Keiki-san...

While she was so proud that her little actor had gained a Jounin's instruction through his own machinations, did it really have to be such a boring character? While he was a very skilled and accomplished ninja, more so than herself, Ayaka still had to suppress a shudder at the thought of his muddy and bland colours being added to her son's skills. Hiraoka-sensei's were fine, refined and interesting and ones she had too. But Kono Keiki...

 _"Still, it's not unsalvageable,"_ she thought to herself. She glanced at the hilt of the umbrella, bringing her right hand up and tapping against the bamboo. If it was just bamboo the sound would be dull and hollow, but she knew that if she wanted she could give the end of it a twist and a small pull.

Then she moved her hand away again. No reason to tempt herself.

 _"If I get him to teach the little actor to use the same type of weapon that I do, then he shouldn't make any too unpleasant changes. In all honesty, he is much better with a blade then I am, and if I can't write a perfect copy then I may as well edit the script."_

Ayaka had no worries that she could get the Jounin to teach how and what she wanted. While he was far more powerful a ninja, the dull and boring character's wants and desires were as dull and boring as himself. A simple problem.

Ayaka arrived back in the village a few hours later, having spent the whole journey musing about one thing or another while not once having her thoughts appear on her smiling face.

* * *

… at a different place and time…

"Good grades, average taijutsu, genjutsu, and ninjutsu, with average chakra control." The voice of Hiraoka Takeo, or Hiraoka-sensei as he was better known these days, was less than a mutter but above a whisper. Alone in his office, his stutter disappeared, as his words flowed from brain to pen to voice. No one to see his strokes made them smooth and flowing. "No kekkei genkai or family techniques of particular note, but with family history of a dozen Chunin and one Jounin years ago."

The man leaned back in his chair, balancing on the back legs, and tapped the table with his pen as he considered and discarded descriptions. "Personality: an honest worker and good-tempered ninja who will not hesitate to follow orders." There was, however, the unfortunate other half of that trait...he continued with a grimace. "Has not shown much leadership skills or aptitude for out of the box thinking. Fujikawa Kojuro's expected value: skilled Genin. Malleable for specialisation of future Jounin-sensei's choosing, with reasonable chances of making Chunin later in career. Further advancement to special Jounin and full Jounin appears unlikely under current observations."

Nothing about how good of a brother he was, or how caring a classmate. _"Or how he once spent a whole day and night practising one technique and how I had to carry him back home. Nothing about his sleepy smile,"_ Takeo snorted. _"I'm only supposed to put down what is 'relevant'. "_

Takeo hated these reports. They were solely for the benefit of the Jounin who were looking to take on students in the future or who were currently phasing out their current students into the general Chunin and Genin pool. Not only did he find them, in his own opinion, a bit useless, but you never knew how the droplets would fall the next day.

Who would hit a wall or climb it? Who will live against the odds or be taken before their time and who would find a reason to push on or fall into despair?

He still submitted every report for every student every year.

He had his own experience with the fact that life led you in strange directions: before the nerves and panic attacks began, when he was a rising Jounin, he would have never thought that he of all people would be relegated to teaching. But that didn't really bother him, not the way some of his other memories did. What really irked him about all this was the politics of it all.

The larger villages would, unless a Jounin stated a real preference and no one objected, pick teams based on what the leadership felt was best for the Genin's development and hand them to the right Jounin for the job, with the three Genin and Jounin likely not knowing the other side even existed beforehand.

Taki, however, was too small, its skill-pool almost inbred even with careful husbandry. If you didn't know someone personally, then you knew someone who did. It was a possible and easy, if tedious, task to memorize every active ninja in the village, and that type of personalism lead to factionalism. And there were so many Jounin relative to the rest of the village...Jounin were as close to the heart of the problem as the Clan heads.

Teaching became only a secondary concern to Genin teams. The most valuable thing about the career arrangements of the students was furthering a Jounin's personal agenda. Teaching an important member of a clan made you closer to that clan, a strong student is a strong ally, and even an average one is another soldier who you could call upon to back you or your faction's cause.

And so Jounin squabbled, and haggled, and traded their future students for favours like pawns. If Takeo remembered correctly, little Eguchi Yuina was being markedly fervent this year, burning political capital to get the best genin team possible for when her first teaching assignment would come up, right around the time this group will be getting their headbands. Trying to get the best start on her own little posse.

She was always an ambitious one, that child.

Takeo let himself muse on that past student of many years and her follies for a short time, before settling back down to the ground, finalising his report, and moving on to the next one.

Fujimori Shou.

"Very high taijutsu, good genjutsu, and high ninjutsu, with above-average chakra control." The boy would have likely been a clear first in practical and physical skills in the last few years, but was fighting for second and third with Makioka Saori in this more talented generation. "Grades below average; appears to have difficulties reading and writing. Would have been held back if other aspects were not as high as they were." Some of the newer teachers were somewhat confused by this very particular difficulty in just one area, but not the more experienced staff. It was not common, but you did see it pop up here and there if you taught long enough.

"No history of kekkei genkai on the mother's side; father's history low-level classified. Clan on mother's side has long history in information gathering, espionage, assassination, and bodyguarding." The last one would, to a casual civilian, seem to be the odd one out. But if you knew how to poison someone, you were well equipped to stop a poisoning. "Has begun training somewhat with Jounin Kono Keiki. Kenjutsu skills likely to develop if this training is to continue."

"Personality: more intelligent than grades indicate, mature and aloof with mildly manipulative tendencies." Traits he no doubt inherited from his mother. Takeo could still remember that girl's troubling school days, even if she appeared to have improved since...or at least, gotten better at hiding it. "Is nonetheless friendly and responsible ninja in possession of leadership skills, though not particularly motivated to use those skills." That was probably the boy's main problem, even above his academic ones. His drive seemed to come and go, and he didn't really care about anything enough to stay firm when it came down to brass tacks.

"Observant mind that can analyse problems and posit solutions even when distracted. Expected value: skilled Genin in support ninja role in a field-focused team or in a combatant role on support-focused team. Very likely move to Chunin in early career. Odds of advancement to special Jounin: reasonable depending on specialisation and training. Advancement to full Jounin appears unlikely with current observations." Jounin were the best of the best; the most well rounded and most disciplined ninja in the village. And Shou-kun just had too many holes, in his skills and in his mentality. Sadly his disability was yet another hindrance to him ever operating at that level.

Jounin were not just ninjas, they were administrators, generals, and secret keepers; writing and breaking codes, written reports and analyses, the ability to contribute to Taki's broader community, initiative, and willingness to sacrifice were all needed. If Shou-kun couldn't improve himself in those areas at some point, the rank of Jounin was impossible no matter how skilled a ninja he became.

Well, that was a little unfair really. Jounin was impossible for most ninja. That was why they were the 'elite'.

Hiraoka considered the sheet of paper for a little while longer, placed it into the 'acceptable' stack, and moved on.

"Now then...who is next? Guionu Katsumi."

It would be another long night for Hiraoka Takeo, former candidate for head Jounin and now head teacher of the next generation. Yes, in his youth he never would have expected an early retirement from the field. But he couldn't say that he had not grown to like the job.

* * *

Next part is a time-skip


	10. Chapter 7

So here it is, winter is a terrible time for keeping on schedule. sorry for the delay.

almostinsane gave a hand for the first bit but was to busy for most of it. If (when) you see a mistake please point it out.

I really hate fight scenes, or maybe I just have a problem with movement and fight scenes have a lot of that.

Chapter 7

* * *

As I quietly ducked down to avoid the hail of blades that appeared from the darkness and slammed into the tree that was behind me, I couldn't stop the little curse that slipped out of my mouth.

We had underestimated the other team badly.

When Sensei said that Josuke and I were going to be on the same team, we had assumed that it was going to be a fairly easy thing. With Tetsuo added to the mix, the purple haired kid being a higher ranking classmate with an… eccentric… creativity with traps, we were confident that none of the other teams would be strong enough to really compete.

But it seemed that our opponents had a plan: a simple one, yes, but one that worked.

We had set ourselves into a basic formation as we moved through the forest-like training ground: Josuke in the back so the strongest fighter was protecting the weakest point, myself in the front to absorb any forward attack and Tesuo in the middle to quickly support where he was needed or to break off and start setting up his… creative… traps.

It did not really work out that way.

The first thing that hit us was the flash tags the other team had set up ahead of us, the sudden white light blinding the group for just a moment but long enough for the other team to be upon us before we had time to bring up our defenses.

We were definitely not ready for all three members of the other team to ignore me and Josuke and pounce on Tesuo as one, overwhelming him before he could hope to put up a fight. Once they were done with Tesuo, two members of the party turn to engage Josuke while the last one came at me, effectively turning the fight from a three vs three to a two vs one and a one vs one. Definitely a simple plan. But what works, works.

In most situations, this would not have been that big of a problem: Josuke was first place in the class for a reason and was more than capable of holding out in a handicap match for a while, maybe even winning depending who he was fighting.

And before today, I was pretty confident that against anyone but Saori, I would be able to beat them down in quick order and then go and back him up.

 _…But today…._

Sensing something off, I quickly dove to the side as a boulder the size of a cow fly's past where I was standing and crashed into the tree behind me, shattering and blowing a hole in the spot it hits and making the tree topple over.

I twisted around in the air to land in a crouch, right arm raised in front of me with a handful of shuriken as my left-hand gripped the hilt that was sticking out of a plain katana scabbard that now rested at my side, right next to one of my leg holders. I set myself in a basic ready stance facing the duration of the attack.

"Oy! Bit much for a training exercise, don't you think?" was my not-at-all panicked shout (shut up) as only a little bit of cold sweat ran down my back. I was definitely not imagining the crushed wood as my own body if it had been hit, definitely not.

"You dodged didn't you?" was the far too chirpy reply that came from the enemy, sounding not even a little bit sorry for her gravely over-eager attempts at bodily harm, some people...

Facing me from across the field dressed in a light pink combat shirt and skirt combo and way more swagger then I had ever seen from her before was the redheaded kunoichi, Taura, one of Saori's followers and someone whose abilities I would have ranked as a solid 'Meh' before today.

She had a excited and annoyingly happy grin on her face as she practically skipped over to another large boulder the size of a small truck this time (there are way too many big stones in this training field for it to be natural) and started up a short sequence of seals before placing both of her hands on it. The boulder sort of blinked out and into focus like it fazed out of reality for a second. Then the ten-year-old girl picked it up like it weighed nothing.

Having kept her eyes on me the whole time , her smile changed to a cheeky smirk as she drew her arms back before chirping out a "Catch!" and flinging the boulder right at me, it again blinking in and out thing as it left contact with her body, soaring at me at the same or even greater speed as a kunai or a shuriken.

I dodged it with a simple slide and jump to the side, letting the shurikens in my hand fly at her as I did so; we were far enough away that it was easy to track, but the psychological effect of seeing the giant stone fall right where I was, digging a hole a quarter of the way into the ground, and hearing and feeling the shake of the ground as it hit might have had led to me wanting to pee myself a little but only a little.

Sadly, my projectiles did shit all, as she just picked up a dead log bigger than her as a shield, the stars sticking right into it.

 _…Somebody's got a new trick..._

"When did you unlock your kekkei genkai, Taura-chan? Sensei might have thrown a little party if you had said something," I asked with an impressed and congratulating smile or No. 43 if you prefer, trying to stop things for a sec so I could think things out.

People who say not to talk in a fight are idiots. Talking is great if you know to only distract your opponent and not distract yourself.

"For sooo long! Like, two months now," Taura said in a voice like some great weight was lifted from her shoulders, "It was so hard to not tell anybody, but, but! I wanted to make a big reveal. So I waited till I could do a jutsu with it and then for when I was in a dramatic fight against someone strong. Like now!" she took one arm off the log and point right at me, "Sorry Shou-Kun, but I'm afraid Taira Taura is taking your spot as one of the class Oni!" And with that declaration of war, the log was above her head and ready for launch as her eyes half stayed on me, half looked around for more shit to throw.

 _"For fuck's sake, if one of those hit me I'm done,"_ I thought in a panic, the idea of getting splattered still ghosting my thoughts, _"Kekkei_ genkai are _such bull, years of work to stay at the top of the class and she jumps up in strength just like that. Maybe I should just…"_

 _ **Breath in…**_

 _ **Breath out…**_

Calmly, I jumped to the side as the log flew by, looking carefully at what exactly was happening. The Taira Bloodline was known as the 'Density' release, but from what little I remembered from before, I kind of felt like something else might have been going on, though as a former civil servant, I can't say I was an expert on physics even back then, but basically, the Taira make things they touch lighter or heavier before it goes back to normal after they lose contact.

Ducking under the next rock, a lot smaller than the last, I slowly started to move forward, thinking that once the intimidation factor was gone, they're not any harder to dodge then kunai and she can't throw more than one at a time, so maybe easier. A slide to the left this time, the displaced air rustling my hair as the new log moved passed.

I would be done for if I tried to block or got tagged by any of the projectiles, but it was very posable to wait her out like this. _"Still,"_ I think to myself, _"I'm the one on a clock,"_ if this became a waiting game there was far higher chance that it was going to be her back-up arriving to save the day then it was mine. So I couldn't just wait for her to run out of Chakra or things to throw.

I shot forward in a zig-zag pattern, ducking and dodging as I moved closer to her, I could see that she was starting to get a bit annoyed as the throws started coming a bit faster and less accurately. Sensing a crack I started to exploit it, giving her encouragements in a condescending voice to push her more and more to the edge, her face went red and ugly as irritation became anger.

"Wow Taura-chan, that one was super close, not like the last few, your getting way better!"

"Shut it!"

However, when I got within twenty metres and made to make a final jump to move into close quarters that expression change form anger to triumph as she dropped what she was holding and quickly pulled out a chain with a metal weight at the end from her pouch, "got you!" she howled as she swung it down at me from above the moment both my feet left the ground. She tricked me! the random throws were not her being sloppy, but her trying to get me into the right spot and distance, good for her, but…

 _For the hundredth time that day I found myself on my back panting for breath and feeling like a wet noddle as Kono-sensei looked down at me passively, but I was happy, the results of two years of work were starting to take shape. Instead of relying on a few half-remembered boxing tricks to spice up the Village basics, now, with the help of a skilled Jounin to take everything, to reconstruct it, develop it, and combined it into the standard to create my own style. One that I think is pretty…._

 _"It's interesting at least," Kono-sensei stated in his bored drawl before walking over to the left side of the field and picking up the bottles we left there, coming back over and giving me mine before taking a sip out of his own._

 _"That's it? Just interesting," I replied, trying to not sound annoyed at years of work only getting a raised eyebrow, must not have worked as he just gave me a look before sighing like the weight of the world was on him, crouching down to give me a deadpan stare right into my eye he went on._

 _"Yes, interesting. What ya expect? The human body only works in so many ways, every style shares something with all the others, but are better at somethings and worst at others, it's all trade-offs. Your light on your feet, and can throw some weird angles and moves at people, using your strong back muscles to give your hits more power then they should without grounding yourself," he takes a sip before going on, "But you cant create real power like that, attacking or defending, and its very movement based, so not great if you have to stay in one spot. It's a light style, for better or worse," Getting up after saying his piece he starts to head home before adding over his shoulder._

 _"But it is interesting and a little weird, not a lot of Genin will have seen something like it so surprise might be on your side. Plus, when you're focused on just defending you're a slippery little br…"_

A moment before the chain made contact with me I palmed a kunai and brought it above my head in a block in the same moment that I stretched my lead foot down so that the very tip of my toes were touching the ground.

The knife makes contact, the chain blinked out and in just like the rocks and logs had done before and I know in that it was at that instant too heavily to just stop, but that was fine.

Chakra traveled down my foot and into my toes on the ground where it stuck the two together, not strong enough to go up a tree, but will do for what was needed, I pulled myself down as _I twisted the same foot, shifting my weight onto the back foot as it lands, and I push off the kunai._ Then suddenly I was on the right of the attack as it hit the ground with a thud, most of my body did not even look like it had moved as it swayed to the new spot in a blink.

Confused, Taura reeled the chain back and made for another attack, this time straight on with the weighted end aimed for my torso.

 _Slide the back foot forward and out, twist the back ankle in and push forward, weight staying centred._ And now I was a bit closer to her and left of the attack, again most of my body not telegraphing the movement before I was already out of the way.

A swing from the right at an angle.

 _One large step to the right with lead feet, shift weight to it._ It missed, as the top of my body swayed out of the way. I quickly took a few steps forward.

This time it came horizontally, trying to wrap around me.

 _Pushing and slide forward with both feet, bending at the knees and lowering my centre gravity._ And just before it hits I was under it, the chain having sailed over my head.

The fundamental point of _bobbing_ and _weaving_ , _footwork_ , and _swaying_ in boxing was to dodge hits as fast as possible without telegraphing and using as little energy as you could. Thanks to Kono-sensei and Chakra we've bought those principles to another level. Gripping the ground and reinforcing the parts of my body that took the brunt of the twisting and pushing I could now dodge most attacks with minimal movement. Sometimes with just my toes, making it seem like I'm flickering around attacks, like a leaf on the wind fluttering away inches from what has disturbed it. At least on the Genin and below level.

She continued to try to hit me while I dodged and swayed around her until finally, I got right up close. Absentmindedly, I think about grabbing the blade at my side, but decided It would be a good idea to save that trick for the next part of the battle and instead I went in with my fists.

With one final yell and look of panic on her face, Taura gave the chain one last horizontal swing, at waist height to wrap around me and to give me the least room to dodge.

Planting both feet on the ground and gripping with chakra, I leaned back so that I created an arch as it sailed over. Then from that position, I tensed and shot my left arm up as I twist my waist counter-clockwise, taking advantage of my long arms to still reach her even from the extreme angle. my swaying uppercut heading right for her chin.

I got to give it to her, even with the attack coming from a strange spot and with strange timing, Taura still managed to bring both her forearms up to protect her head, my fist still slammed in hard, but was not the fight finisher it could have been. Still, the move had left her stomach open.

Placing my other hand on the ground for balance I bought my leg up and sided kick her straight in the gut, hard. Air left her mouth with a 'wosh' as she was bent double and thrown into the side of the clearing and back into the tree-line.

Not willing to give her a second I took out another Kunai and moved after her and went for the win. But just as I was over her and about to finish it, I heard some movement in the air behind me and had to sway out of the way of a Kunai on a wire, only of the blade to turn in the air and come right for my eye.

Hastily I brought the blade in my hand up and swatted it out of the air, the kunai returning back where it came from. Looking over to where it went I saw the attacker turn to re-join their own fight, _"being able to help take on Josuke and still keep an eye on us… when did you get this good Rokuro?"_ I thought quickly before looking back over to my opponent to see her had taken advantage of the time to grab the base… of the tree... she had knocked over earlier… oh no.

Kekkei genkai, for most it was not just the power of the technique that made them feared, but the options they gave their wielders in a bind, options others couldn't have in the same spot, and so didn't tend to think about.

The Tree blinks out and back in, and with a grunt and a yell, she swung it like it was a baseball bat. And for the first time this fight I got hit, the tree too big, too wide, and to close to avoid.

Being hit by something under the effect of the 'Lightening' part of the Taira bloodline was a bit like running into a very padded wall at high speed, but worse. It didn't really hurt like it would have if she had let go of it, but I was still knocked for a trip.

Moments later I found myself on the ground and not sure where I was. Panic and pain rising now that I had lost my focus on my calm. I tried to scramble back on to my feet as fast as it was possible, my legs like jelly and my vision having black spots in it, but then I started to stand something wrapped around me and suddenly grow so heavy that I found myself back on the ground with a thud and a groan.

"Heh, heh, got you," I heard a voice say just to the side of me, Taura was bent over panting but still stood shakily with the end of her chain in hand and the rest of it around me. She started to walk over but collapsed onto her knees a few feet away, "Wow, dizzy. That was way too big! Not doing that again," still, she looked over to me, her face peering into mine in astonishment before lighting up in joy, "I won…" she whispered to herself more than me, that didn't stop me feeling the annoyance though.

Still, look her in the eye and give her a little, sad, but sportsmanlike smile before breathing in to calm myself.

And then breathed out hard to guide a stream of purple gas right into her face.

The Poison Mist technique; Not the rarest or strongest of Justus, but very good for its Chakra cost and one of the few techniques that you can prepare beforehand and only need to activate with a pulse of Chakra in a fight, no hand-seal. And importantly, the gas I'm using, Nitrous oxide (laughing gas) is non-lethal but fast acting in the right doses.

"Aaah! cough, cough." Taura screamed then started choking, crawling back and turning her head away as she tried to make a little distance, getting to her feet and then stumbled for a moment and gave her head a little shake, "wow." The first little wave of light-headedness hitting, and with the loss of concentration, her Justu broke.

As fast as possible I freed myself from the chain and was up on my feet charging her, right hand on the hilt of my sword and left gripping the katana scabbard, no holding back, no time left.

Taura, still having most of her wits about her, pulled out a Kunai and raised it in a guard to try and deflect my attack.

In one swift movement, I draw the blade and slash in one.

And out of the Katana scabbard came a ō-wakizashi, a blade A little bit smaller then Katana. A shorter reach, a faster draw.

Taura's block, having expected a slower, longer sword misses, and the Wakizashi slips past it and towards her neck.

The blade was blocked by two fingers and a thumb, stopping it dead.

Hiraoka-sensei stated in a load voice beside us, "Student Taira Taura has been eliminated." Before letting go of my sword.

Taura was still blinking in surprise as I turned and sprinted off towards the area of the other fight, not having time to stop and catch my breath. I had already lost a lot of time.

A familiar sound lets me know that the worst had happened, and I had to use my sword in one hand and a kunai in the other to block two Kunai on wires that made a pass at me.

Standing in the treeline was Saori and Rokuro. Out of the two best friends, Rokuro had over the years changed the most, the ten-year-old still had his thick glasses, but instead of having the nerdy thing going on he now had the same Chinese theme that I sort of remembered team Gai had. Wearing a white Changshan shirt with long sleeves covering his hands with puffy black pants, his hair was now in a long pony-tail. The two Kunai on wires floating out of the sleeves in front of him with the tips of their blades pointing at me gave his fighting stance a praying mantis look. Saori… could still have been that random girl you see on the roadside. Her brown hair maybe a little longer, she was little taller, her black combat dress a little more like an actual dress but still tomboy-like… she was just Saori'y like.

Both were worse for wear, cuts and tears everywhere and Saori was sporting a big black eye, but both standing against me proudly and confidently. The reason obviously the unconscious Josuke that was being carried away by another instructor.

Without any prompting, Rokuro moved forward as Saori performed a quick set of hand seals and then thrusting her hands onto, and then into the ground. _"dammit, again?"_

I had no time to deal with the approaching boy as I had to jump into the air and off the ground to avoid the pair of white, ghostly hands that had risen out of the earth to grab my ankles. I didn't even bother trying to cut them with my weapons, plain metal won't help with the Phantom limbs of the Makioka.

Even in the air I had no time as I had to use my Wakizashi to block the blades that zipped around me on wires and when I made it back to the ground again I had to start running as a hand from the ground went for my legs again at the same time another hand from the tree next to me gent for my neck.

I would like to say I had held out for a while, but even with my new weaving and swaying style, I did not know how to really deal with attacks I could not see coming out of any surface combined with attacks that would hone in on any openings at the same time from four directions, one at a time, I could figure something out, but together? I lasted half a minute before I tripped up and was tied down, this time with combat tape that kept my mouth shut.

Sensei had at that point appeared out of nowhere next to me with Tetsuo, Josuke and Taura beside him, the two boys bruised and battered, and the girl was trailing a little and blinking a bit too much, but they were all otherwise fine, physically at least. They all still looked in varying degrees of shame or distress, Taura had little drops of tears at the corner of her eyes despite her team winning.

After untying me Sensei had the lot of us lined up in front of him as he gave us the breakdown.

"As team A was not able to arrive at the target location to pick up the package and had in battle all of their members captured or killed, the winner of this exercise is Team B," Rokuro and Saori looked as happy as clams at the decision, but Taura still had her head down, her hair shadowing her face, "You did well team B," Sensei continued, "yes it was a simple strategy, but the best strategies are the ones that work, not the ones that are the most clever. And even if it was simple, it needed good coordination and timing, things you proved you had. Well done."

He then turned to my group and started, " Team A, while it was an ambush and much of your mistakes can be attributed to the panic and confusion created by said ambush, it was still an ambush you knew was coming. I don't know if it was arrogance, or if you wrongly assumed that nothing would happen until you already had the package, but if you all had been a bit more cautious or a bit readier to react, you might not have been hit as bad."

Here he paused to have a look at the leger that somehow had appeared in his hand before he turned to address Tetsuo, "Tetsuo-Kun, I'm afraid there isn't much I can comment on about your performance in this exercise as you were eliminated so early. But don't take that too much to heart. In theory, you should have better managed to disengage from the ambush, and we will work on how to deal with multiple opponents more in the future. But in practice, getting 'trampled' by a surprise attack by multiple enemies of similar skill level is something very few ninja can be expected to manage. The moment your teammates were too late to react you were done for. So don't beat yourself up, and just learn from it."

He turned to the next student in line here, "Josuke, overall you did well considering the handicap, and the use of clones too distracted and confuse was a good use of the basic techniques. But you're indecision on whether to go on the attack to take one of your opponents down fast or too fully defend and trust Shou-kun too win his fight and come back you up was costly. Both were correct, if not guaranteed choices, half and half was not. Remember to always commit to an action in situations like this." My friend made an unhappy face at this, but he did not say anything as he just nodded to let Sensei know he had heard. It was nice that he had learned to not talk back and argue with Sensei about these things. It was just too bad he was now definitely going to be vetting it all at me on the way home instead.

"Rokuro-kun and Saori-kun, that was excellent," He gave the two a proud look before continuing,"You have both improved greatly, and your fighting synergy and corporation was definitely the core reason for your teams win. Don't think that there were no parts where you could have improved or done better, but overall well done."

He finally turned his attention towards the last two fighters left. I could only hope that I didn't do anything too ridiculous. My opponent just shrinks even more into herself and braced.

"First of all, I want to say that I'm impressed with the use of Justus in live combat I haven't seen from both of you before," Sensei said nicely before he went on, "What I'm _not_ impressed by is how neither of you used any of the basic three despite the fact that at several points Substitution alone would have been of great use to either of you. That especially goes for you Shou, as I know you capable of performing all of them," I winced a little at being called out like that and looked away, "There is a reason they are the Justus that every ninja in the world is expected to know, it's not enough to know them, you have to be able to use them in action." here he gave both of us a good stare to make sure we got what he was saying before moving on, "Otherwise, Shou, you did a good job of not panicking at the new skills your opponent showed and calmly figured out how to deal with the situation with the tools you had. However, you got distracted at a critical point, a bad habit of your you need to fix." Turning fully to Taura his tone and look became a little bit softer, "Outside of what I said about not using the basic three I think your showing was the highlight of the whole exercise. The improvement you show today was incredible, and besides a bit too much cockiness with your new skills at the beginning, you came at the fight with your best."

"He still, _hic_ , beat me though…" she whispered back as the tears started falling, "I worked so hard, and planed, and waited to show everyone and, _hic_ , it was my turn and he still won." She did not shout, but only because she was not able to around the crying. I didn't do anything wrong, but I still felt a bit bad. I was uncomfortable now anyway.

"Taura-chan… when it comes to training, the winner is not the one who won the fight," Hiraoka-sensei said gently, the strange statement making the redhead look up in confusion. "It's the one who saw the most improvement. Today you nearly beat someone you have never got close to up till now. If that's not a victory, what is?"

The young girl just stared at sensei for a moment before snorting out a little giggle, "Its funny…" she mumbled up to him.

"Oh? What its?" sensei asked back with a big smile, leaning in.

"Don't know," she replied as she started giggling a bit drunkenly now, "Just is?...huh? guys? When did you all dye your skin green?" She questioned the group, squinting at us in puzzlement before busting into more giggles.

"Six Full minutes for it to take full effect," I mused aloud, academically looking at her reactions, "She has some good resistances."

"I-I, w-what, green skin? Taura-chan are y-you ok!" Hiraoka-sensei asked in a worried voice. His confident mode disappearing before coming back with a vengeance as he glares over at me, "Shou, **_what did you use!_** "

I raised my hands up in defence, "ITS SAFE, ITS SAFE!" I yelled out quickly before he did something I would regret, "Asanka chisso doesn't have any long-term effects and it will pass through her system in around twenty minutes. She will be fine!" I glanced over at the said individual as she stared at her hands in wonder,"… She will be in a state of mild euphoria with slight hallucinations until then though…"I give him a disarming smile and a thumbs up at the end, but I don't think it helped any from the look I was getting.

"…. Just go home and don't be late for classes tomorrow, come here Taura-chan," He said with a sigh as he went to pick her up, not letting the chance for escape pass by I was already marching away from the training ground at a brisk pace. The last thing I heard was a quite, "Hey Sensei… is this real life?"

I started moving faster.

* * *

So First: Thanks to Herdo on spacebattles for coming up with The Taira Bloodline, even though I bet they don't remember it or even read the story. just giving credit where credit is due.

Second: Apparently, the wakizashi in the katana scabbard thing was an actual assassination trick, and not something I made up. weird.


	11. Chapter 8 edited: May2019

Chapter 8:

Hi, I'm back! there was a lot of reasons for why this took so long, but rather than complain about them lets just get to the story.

Don't own Naruto etc, etc.

* * *

The light in Takigakure was always a little funny no matter what time of day it was, thanks to the canopy that covered the whole village. And the very early morning light was no different.

"Hey Shou… do you ever wonder if clouds are really a thing or are all the adults just playing a joke on us?"

 _"Brace your legs and place one hand on the scabbard, the other on the hilt. Good. Now keep your eyes on the spot you're aiming for."_ Even if by then I could have repeated every part of the process in my sleep, having been working on this technique for months now, the reminder kept my form clean.

Take for example the little secret garden-park with the giant root in it for the weirdness that was lighting in Hidden Waterfall. We didn't have a slow trickle of light breaking over the horizon. We didn't have a sky with a warm glow that grow stronger over time as the sky moved from black to gold to blue without you even noticing. Instead, we got long stretches of gloomy greys, and the increase in the light came in stutters and bursts, visibility increasing a hundredfold only as the sun found itself a new position that allowed more light to penetrate the leaves overhead. Sometimes shafts of light shined down into that garden onto a boy with a short sword, and sometimes they decided they liked better a girl sitting cross-legged nearby instead.

"I don't think Shibuki-sama would lie to me about something like that, and Senji-jiji said they are real too. But I've never seen little white balls of floating water. Water doesn't float, it falls! Everyone knows that," the girl continued. She kicked her legs up and out before returning to crossing them, put her hands on her knees and chin, and tried to look thoughtful. "And ninja are supposed to be good at lying, and Shibuki-sama is a ninja, so I can't always trust what he is saying, right?"

 _"Control your breath and fill the sheath of the sword with chakra, let it pool around the blade until it feels like there is no more space. Until the sheath starts to feel stretched across the surface of the sword. Press your thumb up against the handguard and focus."_ I readied myself just like always. Iaijutsu was not about just knowing about or being able to perform the technique. Rather, it was about the perfection of the technique through repetition.

In that way, it might be the fairest skill of them all: something everyone can learn to do but only those who are willing to commit the time will get real benefit from, or so I was told as I was taught it.

Outside of being a time-sink, the quick-draw was the type of disciplined skill that appealed to me; effective and cost-efficient, just like the poison mist technique. I may not be hurting when it comes to chakra, but I'm nothing special either, so I've grown to like the stuff that can at least potentially do the work of a rawer Jutsu at a leaner price tag.

Which was why I was willing to get up at five in the bloody morning to practice it every day. The early morning was really the only time of the day you can guarantee nothing else will get in the way, even as a child.

Though to be fair, getting up early is a lot easier when you go to bed not long after village turns off the light generator instead of staying up late using a computer.

In the end, I was glad my mother had taught me this chakra trick. It made it worthwhile to sheathe your sword in the middle of a fight.

"Maybe they are just an illusion! Like a Genjutsu! One big Genjutsu that's been placed on everyone to hide what's really going on…"

The girl hadn't changed much, a bit younger than me, around a year, and still in a pair of black knee shorts and a white t-shirt that had a little bit of dirt and stains on the sleeves, probably from all the time spent outside messing around. Still small and thin, not from malnourishment, just as someone who was meant to be built that way. As she sat there on the ground she stared at me in concentration. Her eyes still her most distinctive feature; Wide on her small, round head with orange, pupil-less eyes. They made her appear to always have a look of innocent wonder on her deep bronze-tanned face. The expression was framed by her short, layered mint green hair that was kept out of her face by an orange hair-clip, the only half-attempt at femininity that was on her.

 _"Once you're ready...dash forward and draw the sword."_ I moved and drew. A flash of steel—my ō-wakizashi bisected the foe through the middle.  
 _  
"Better, or at least it's faster now than just swinging,"_ I thought to myself. The physical energy in the chakra would shoot the sword out of the scabbard with more force and acceleration, and the mental energy would carry along my intent...or at least, that's how the trick would work when I'd mastered it. If my first attempts felt like dragging an oar through solid dirt, then today would be dragging through water.

I dropped and rolled my arm back down and sheathed my sword. Even without cutting anything other than air, my shoulder was a little sore.

Now if I could just get the build-up to a reasonable time, it might become good to use in a fight. I smiled a little, looking down at the weapon in my hands.

If I had to thank mother for the technique, then I really had to thank Kono-sensei for the tool and the skill to use it. The ō-wakizashi, even if it was just a low-quality nameless blade, was still a better fit for me than the larger katana that he preferred. The smaller blade was more easily wielded one handed so that I could mix my Kenjutsu into my longer trained Taijutsu. I didn't really want to trade off one for the other, like I would have needed to do with the larger two-handed weapon.

I'd already made a few other trades, after all.

With the addition of the sword, my wardrobe had needed to change up a lot over the years. I finally did concede that my mother had a good point that what you are wearing is as much a weapon as anything else. There are just some things you can and cannot wear with a sheathe hanging off your hip, and if I was going to wear an actual weapon around the village, then pairing it with cheap hoodies and shorts was basically going unarmed in social combat.

In the end, with some prodding from her, I had settled into what might become my Genin 'uniform'.

At some point she had commissioned a loose-fitting blue silk kimono shirt with billowing, but not overlong sleeves. It had a vibrant green, purple, and brown print of a tree being strangled by the vines and flowers of the wisteria that my clan was named after. In comparison, the pair of black pants were a bit plain looking but made of the same materials and care. My weapons pouch sat on the left hip and my scabbard on my right. I had some calf-length shinobi sandals finishing off the look. Maybe I should say something about the light chain-mail with plates that all ninja wear? But you couldn't see it under all the rest, so...

My mother had said that the style was to subconsciously remind people of what was worn by members of the courts and upper nobility and give me an air of authority that I would not actually be owed. I thought that it was just her taste in clothes shining through.

"Maybe Kumogakure is really a village full of Genjutsu experts! And they're secretly using ninja in giant kites disguised as white blobs of water to spy on everyone and cast Genjutsu on them to slowly take over the world…"

I exhaled a little before turning back around. I wanted to look at her with as straight a face as possible. "Clouds are vapour, like mist, but high up instead of on the ground, that's why it floats until it condenses enough to be water again and falls. That's where the water that drips off the leaves comes from."

"Quickly Shou!" Fū shouted at me, having bolted up from her spot and grabbed me by the front of my kimono tightly. she was practically on the tips of her toes with her face was closer than was comfortable. Lips trembling, eyes teary, breath pretty bad. "We have to warn everyone about the Cloud conspiracy before it's too late!"

We stood there and stared at each other in silence for a bit, my face completely blank and hers in distress as seconds ticked by until…

"Pfft!" Like noise from a tea kettle coming to boil, a little snort of amusement escaped from my mouth. I gave her a little shake of my head and the smallest glance at a smirk before brushing her hands off me and turning away.

At the corner of my eye, I saw her trembling frown turn into a face-splitting grin. Pure mischief entered her eyes, and she gave herself a little fist pump in success before sitting back down and starting off on a new tangent.

I spent a little more time practising as the early morning moved to the regular morning, but now that Fū had 'won' our little game I didn't feel like letting her just sit there as I ignored her. So, I chose to finish up a bit early this time.

I cleaned off the sweat on my face and hands with a small fold-up towel from my pouch (and thanked The-whatever-there-is-up-there that ninja under-armour was great at locking in body smells) before heading off into the village. Fū was quick to jump up off the ground and walk beside me as we left the garden and back into the concrete around it. I started to listen properly only when she started making the transition from talking at me into talking to me.

"Finally! So, what are we doing now?", Fū asked as she falls into step, hands behind her head as she grins into the air, "You better not say 'to class' after I had to get up so early for you, and it's sooo boring having to wait for you guys to finish at class, wish I could go. Are the rest of the guys going to hang out today? Do you have train so early? Like seriously!"

"I do self-training early so it doesn't get in way of other stuff. And you don't have to come, you know, I've literally never asked you to." We made it onto the main road that cut though the centre of the village. Then I started shooting out answers at her. "Everyone is going to hang out at Josuke's today, like I told you, and there is no class today so, no, you don't have to wait. And don't let Saori-chan hear you complain about getting nothing but private training, you'll get strangled, especially as it sounds like you're _skipping_ private training… And breakfast is my next stop, yes, you may come. Thanks for waiting for me to invite you before inviting yourself." Only the bare minimum of whining.

"Awesome! I like his place, His dad is cool, and I already had breakfast, but I guess I'll wait with you so you don't get lonely. It's no problem, that's what friends do!" She beamed me a moronic grin and thrust her fist in the air, nearly hitting a Chunin in the face. The man's face scrunched up like he was about to start yelling before he realised who she was and instead just moved on with a huff.

"…So those are the only parts you're not going to ignore huh?" I asked with no real hope, already knowing the truth.

"What do you mean, Shou?" Her head tilted like a dog trying to figure out where a sound was coming from.

"…Nothing," I replied with a sigh and a shake of my head, knowing that it wasn't worth the trouble. Instead I just looked around at some of the stalls that were starting up on the side of the road. After a moment my nose found what my eyes could not, and I hurried my pace, "I think old lady Kaya is making Bahn-mi-op-la, quick! Before she runs out!"

"You barely react when shown a new jutsu or given a present, but a sandwich can get you worked up enough to start running? You can be a bit of a weirdo sometimes Shou."

"…Just… stop talking and move it. I can't accept hearing that from you, it hurts my soul."

* * *

 _It started on that day in that secret garden where Fū had, literally, fallen into my lap._

 _After I had cooled down a little from nearly dying of bodily harm by a flying body, we had ended up talking for a while under the giant root about all the usual things kids who just meet ended up chatting about; favourite colour, what's your favourite game to play, how far can you throw pointy knives while maintaining academy-grade standard, etc._

 _Mostly it was just small talk, motivated on my part with the impulse to be polite combined with social training never to let go of an opportunity to manipulate someone so obviously lonely. She had latched on to the interaction like a starved animal, and I let it go on for few hours before trying to go home. When I finally got to leave Fū stopped me for a second to make sure that I know that we were now 'friends forever' before running off with a smile and a skip, which was about expected for what I'd seen of her type._

 _Still, only after I made it home and met Mother — waiting at a living room table set with cold tea and a smile rare enough that its number was huge: No. 89, with eyes crescents, cheeks tense, teeth bared like fangs — after I met her and explained why exactly I was so late...only after that, did I learn exactly which Fū it was that I had just let become emotionally attached to me._

 _"..."_

 _Give me a break! How was I supposed to recognise the real version of a drawn character? Who, I might add, was not only younger then she was in the story, but also was a character that just had, like, six lines in the manga and an appearance in a filler-arc that I only watched bits of on YouTube when I was bored?_

 _(That arc had something to do with a Chunin exam, right? It's been a while.)_

 _To give credit where it was due, the only part of the meeting that Mother cared about was that I made a good impression on the ward of Hisen-sama and Shibuki-sama. Though like always with her, it was up in the air whether her nonchalance was from an enlightened understanding of the nature of Jinchūriki, or she just didn't see anything wrong with being on good terms with a child possessing demon._

 _I, on the other hand, had started to freak out. Privately. Later, in my room, after I got sent to bed with no supper except a sample of Taki prison food._

 _Of course, after deciding to avoid the story like the plague, I met the one person in the village that could drag me into it head first and screaming._

 _Oh, no. Fate was an actual thing in this world, isn't it? And it was trying to kill me._

 _One day I was going to be minding my own business when Fū walks up to me and then bam, suddenly Akatsuki! And I get killed for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Is that why there wasn't a Fujimori Shou in that story? Because he got killed off screen with the seven-tails? What were the names of those two guys looking after her? Was I one of them? I can't remember what they looked like, would I even know what I looked like as a drawing? What if…_

And so my though _ts went, until I finally managed to stop and push down my panicking emotions and think about it with a clear mind._

 _Breath in, breath out._

 _This situation was fixable. We were both around the same age and lived in a small village; we were bound to meet at some point, it just happened to be then. Could have easily been in a playground earlier or on a mission later. Blaming fate for something statistically likely was just stupid. And I couldn't be on the same team as her as l was at least a year older than her and already had some idea who I was going to be spending my Genin days with. This was not some 'call to destiny' or some shit like that._

 _I still had a choice._

 _(Was it statistically likely? What was Taki's population? How many people our age is there, what was the probability...)_

 _Well, anyway, I chose the logical path to keep my distance from a girl marked for death, even if I had to be a bit mean about it_.

* * *

The delicious sandwiches were bought and eaten. Mission accomplished we once again were on the road and on the way to the Nijimura compound. Now with full stomachs and contentment in our souls. Or at least my soul, Fū complained about it being a little too greasy, but she was a proven heretic who liked things like canned meat, kale-juice and dry noodles, so her opinion was of no value.

When I had told Fū today's plan, I had forgotten something and had to ask her to wait one minute for me. Explaining that I just had to pick up something before running over to a small apartment building we had passed on the way when I noticed that a certain widow had its lights on. Jumping up onto the walkway for the second floor, I knocked on the door three times before I stood back and waited. It was not long before nondescript man, probably a Chunin, in plain clothes and with still slightly wet hair opened to door and muttering a quick hello before giving me the 'what is it kid?" look.

"Hi, you're Abe-san right?" I asked, basic smile number 5 quickly plastered on my face, and pulled out of my pocket a slip of paper I've had been keeping on me for a while, "This was the place the mission-slip said you were staying. I'm here for pick up No: IV-443-02?"

"Oh, right, yes, I have it," The man muttered as he grabbed the paper out of my hand and looked over it, "just give me one sec," he said before closing the door and leaving me there to wait, again.

That was one of the problems with living in a village without active trade. If you wanted something that was not part of the basic stock in the supply deposits or the one convenience shop near the lake, then you had to get it yourself, or you had to pay someone to get it for you.

This system was created to deal with the problem. Rather than pay for a full mission for what was essentially just a shopping trip, you would tell the mission desk what you wanted and hand over the money needed to buy it plus pay a small fee. Then when a Chunin is next assigned a mission near where they could find what you asked for, a little sub-mission to get it will be added to their job. Only after they were on their way back home and done with their real mission, obviously. You got what you wanted, and the Chunin gets a little pocket change.

It was too bad you might be waiting forever for someone to be sent to the right place. And for them to finish their mission and come back, not to mention that they might not be able to find what you were looking for or just not bother and pretended that they couldn't find it and if this was the case... Then the whole process would just start all over again.

It was a shit system, but it was still better than having to pay for a full C ranked mission to do a bit of shopping, even if what I had gotten myself this time was a bit special.

A moment later the man was back and passed me a package. And after the expected polite words and semi-bows he wasted no time in closing the door and going back to whatever it was he was doing. I quickly made my way back with the package resting under my arm to where Fū was waiting for me with questioning, but slightly excited look on her face. With practically sparkling eyes she asked the expected, "what's in the box?"

"Stuff", was my simple reply as I calmly walked passed her, face carefully blank as I picked a little bit of fluff on my shoulder.

"What stuff?" Was her quick reply as she re-joined me, leaning towards me to get a better look at the box I was holding, like always wholly ignoring little things like personal space. I push her face out of mine before replying.

"My stuff," I said, doing my best not to smirk.

"No, I meant what is it."

"A box. Just like you said."

"Herr…," Fū lets out a little sound as she pouts at me before looking me dead in the eye, "Shou… tell me what's in the box."

"What is in the box is for me and not anything that you need to worry about," I replied calmly, still fighting to not show my amusement at her growing irritation. Karma needed to be savoured; I already got so few chances to be the one who was ticking her off as it was.

"Oh, but I think I do need to worry about it." She shot back still eyeing the box with a hungry look, "See, as long as I don't know what it is then it could be anything! What if it is a bomb, huh? That means that a friend of mine might or might not be about to blow up. As long as we don't know what's in the box, then there might or might be a chance, so if you think about it, the only way to be safe is to open the box!" she nodded at this with her hands on her hips, the logical, to her mind, undeniable.

"Small problem with that theory," I replied with the same calm tone I've been using, "I do know what's in the box, and it's not a bomb." I was smirking now, no longer able to hold it back.

"… Please, Shou, pretty, please? Aren't we friends?" And now she was just resorting to whining and puppy dog eyes, "We've known each other for years now, you can trust me to be quite right? And it's not like it's something embarrassing like….," She trailed off as some underused light bulb goes off in her head. A shocked look plastered itself across her face as her head kind of twisted back and forth to look at the box and then at my face in quick secession. A little confused but still amused I just raise a questioning eyebrow and wait for her to explain.

A fatal mistake.

Slowly, judgingly, she raised her hand and pointed at me, eyes wide in pure shock and absolute conviction as she screams out in that sharp but clear way only young girls can, "There is a _Naughty Book_ in there!"

Silence. Not just between Fū and myself, but the whole street goes quite as everyone turns towards the loud sound. Halve a dozen people staring at us, at me, and the box in my hands. Judging and condemning with their eyes in the way only a group of people from a conservative culture could do.

For fuck's sake.

Glaring at the finger pointed at me, I grabbed it and twisted it with a growl while pulling her by the index swiftly down the road and away from the crowd.

"Ow, ow, owy! Let go!"

"Dammit Fū, if that spreads then I'm going to use you as target practice," I grumbled but did let go, once again the one ticked off, "you can't just yell stuff in the middle of the street like that, I keep telling you my mom has a thing with how people see you. If she heard people say I made a spectacle of myself, she'll double my etiquette training." After a moment I remembered to add "And no, it's not a 'Naughty Book'. It's something for training and I'm not telling you more."

"Sorry, Shou. I didn't mean to embarrass you." She said as she nursed her finger, giving me sad, wide eyes and a trembling lip when I shot her another glare.

"You absolutely meant to embarrass me." I cut off her bullshit straight away. Fū may have been similar to how Naruto was shown to be in that story, with a bit of genuine Cloudcuckoolander mixed in. But don't let that fool you, she is not in any way dim. when Fū causes a scene, she knows exactly what she is doing more often than not.

"… Ya, I did." She admitted as her smile returned and that flash of mischief shines in her eyes before it was hidden away again.

After that, we continued down the road again silently for a bit. But I know that is was only a matter of time before…

"So… Seriously, what is in the box?" Fū started up once more without missing a beat.

I just signed at her, but an amused smile did tug at my lips, it was not like I didn't know more than anyone that Fū just does not just give up when she gets going.

* * *

 _It was late the next day that I next saw Fū. It was the first evening training session with Kono-sensei, just some basic stuff for him to see where I was at, so he could decide what to start teaching me when she made it to the field we were using._

 _Apparently, she had spent the whole day running around the village looking for me if the slightly tired look she had was anything to go by, a look that disappeared and was replaced with a bright smile the moment she saw me. The girl quickly run up and shouted a greeting, a greeting Kono-sensei responded to with a hesitant half-wave and a raised eyebrow in slight confusion at the sudden increase in small children._

 _I ignored her and kept on practising with the bamboo stick I was given._

 _The silence treatment should near be underestimated when it comes to ways get young children to go away. Not only do they hate it and want to leave when it happens, but they are not experienced enough to know that it was not their fault that people won't talk to them. So, the child tends to get mad or upset at themselves more than the one who is ignoring them. An important distinction when it comes to chasing away a Jinchūriki._

… Don't look at me like that. I… I just couldn't you know? Are you telling me you never walked past a homeless person or didn't help someone getting bullied before? Now imagine if you know that there was a chance, you don't know how big of a one, that giving that homeless person a coin or confronting that bully will get you killed.

 _I'm not that good of a guy. Just because I know Fū was a sweet kid and lonely and had a sympathetic backstory, that did not mean I was going to get involved with someone I know had the meanest group of criminals in the elemental nations after her head._

 _I did still feel like a scumbag as that bright smile slowly faded and was replaced with a new look after a minute of trying to get me to respond she realised what I was doing. It was something very bitter and lost in her eyes and fragile in the smile she forced on her face like jagged glass._

 _Ya… It made feel like a scumbag. But I should have gotten what I wanted, a little girl who was given a cold-shoulder by her new 'friend' should, in theory, have run off in sadness and never what to talk to that 'friend' again. She should have gotten over it, or at least forget about it like most kids. And if not? Well, it wouldn't be my problem afterwards._

 _At least that was the theory._

 _In practice, that was the day I learned two things about Fū; One, for her saying your 'friends forever' was the same as signing a contract in blood and was non-negotiable. And two, she should have been given the eight tails beast instead of the seven tails… Because she was an impossibly stubborn little brat._

 _After a moment of thinking, she just nodded to herself and instead of yelling at me or crying or just leaving like I hoped she would. The green haired girl just walked over to a spot on the side not too far away and sat herself down on the warm grass._

 _Then she started talking._

* * *

The Nijimura compound was… large, I guess? It was bigger than most things in the village anyways. Being a traditional walled in area with a house in the centre for the head family and a bunch of smaller homes for a bunch of different "families" (related servants and guards mostly, the Nijimura seem to be cool with most of the clan living where they want.) with a stone garden and pond in the middle. If you're wondering why I am questioning its size. It was because while it was the largest space giving to just one group I had been to in Waterfall up to that point, it was still tiny compared to what my memories of this type of place is supposed to look like. In comparison, the Nijimura compound always felt a bit squished, like a lion in a too small cage. Though that might have just been me projecting the personality of its owner on to the place.

Standing in front of the door after giving it a good knock, I looked around to see if there was any sign of the guards that were definitely there, but once again found nothing. Only Fū fidgeting on her spot in impatience and mild anxiety that I pretended to not have noticed, but still stepped a little closer and in front of her, so she had the option of going behind me and letting me deal with whoever answered the door by myself if she wanted.

After a few seconds I heard the pitter patter of soft slippers on the hardwood before the door opened and Josukes mother, Nijimura Ichiko, appeared and offered me a friendly, but thin and oh so weak smile. The great black bags under her eyes undermining but not banishing that proud, regal glint in her eye that was always there since that day on the lake.

Time changes people and not always for the better, I did not know what exactly it was that was wrong with her, it's not something Josuke wanted to talk about and not my place to ask anyone else, but the woman has over the years slowly but steadily wasting away. Long, healthy blonde hair now thin and straw-like and her pretty if hawkish features were now just hawkish. Though a bit more of a kind look in her eyes when she sees me now compared to the cool looks she used to send my way when I first started visiting her son, even with the bags. But the frost quickly returned when she spotted Fū, though hard to spot if you didn't know it was there.

"Oh Shou-chan, lovely to see you," She said as she stepped to the side to let us in, "The rest of the children are out back."

Giving her a big grin and a thank you, I grabbed Fū by her hand from behind me and walked quickly passed, a little rude, but not unusual for a boy who was excited to see his friends. Truthfully, I just didn't see any point in making small talk while Ichiko-san was sending Fū awkward and chilly looks and Fū in return would be just standing there uncomfortable in the hall as she dealt with those looks.

To be clear, Ichiko-san is someone I liked, she had always been good to me even if bit aloft, so I do think that she was a good person at heart, it's just… everyone has their faults, and not having a good opinion of a certain green-haired girl was not exactly an uncommon one in this village. Picking that fight with a stranger would have done little good, let alone a family friend, particularly one far more powerful than myself. Not that I think she would use that power to punish a pre-ninja, but it's just good practice.

The backyard was mostly empty save for the small group of eleven and twelve-year-olds sitting in the middle of it. Josuke, Saori, Rokuro and the new addition of Taura were all in a circle around a bunch of scrolls, some big and some small. Josuke was reading from an unusually large one while taking notes as Saori and Rokuro crowding another, here and there miming out hand-seals as they went through it. Finally, Taura was on her own, staring at a small disk of metal in her hands in frustration, looking like she was not far from chucking it across the garden.

"Hey, guys! What's up?" Fū said as she runs over in a flash, already peering down at the scroll over the shoulders of the two friends. I just walk over to Josuke, bump fists, and laid down next to him and tried to enjoy a moment of rest as I had been moving all day.

"Just going over some stuff for a test we are doing tomorrow," Saori replied with a bored tint in her voice, whatever it was that they were looking at must have already become stale to the young clan heir.

"ahah! Again?" Fū cried out in exasperation "What is with everyone and training or studying right now? It's like, the only thing you guys do these days! Come on, let's play or watch a show or something?" the young girl pleaded to the older one as she basically hung of her, once again showing that she does not understand the concept of 'personal space' if the twitch in Saori's eye is any indicator.

"We all have the bloody graduation exam at the end of the year," Saori said in her signature rough way, brushing Fū off of her, "It's going to be the same for you next year, and then you will know our fucking pain. Just wait a bit and we will do something else later" She then looked over to me, "You want to join us, Shou-kun?"

I eyed the scrolls for a bit before replying, "Na… Was doing stuff this morning and have plans for later, I'm just going to take a break for now."

"You were training already?" Taura asked in surprise as she looked up from what she is doing, I could see her eyes dart a little as she did some counting in her head, not having a watch or a visible sun to help her, "but it's still really early? You couldn't have been at it very long?"

"He gets up at around 5 am to start," Josuke muttered over he's scroll as he idly turns a page, "He says it's more convenient to do it then, but me and Fū are pretty sure he's just training when no one is up to see him sweat and ruin the 'cool' guy thing he tries so hard but fails at." He smirked at the end before grunting when I gave him a little kick from where I'm laying and then sent one back at me.

"Oh… I guess that makes sense, someone like you would have to," she stopped suddenly as she realises what she was about to say, blushing in embarrassment, "I mean it makes sense that your one of the top students if you're doing stuff like that."

Taira Taura had started hanging out with this group, and not just with Saori and her little group of girl-minions, not long after that fight in the woods we had. Like she felt she earn the right by showing how strong she had gotten, though I'm pretty sure I'm the only one who knows that she thought of it that way. And for the most part, she got along with everyone here, little moments like this notwithstanding.

It wasn't that she disliked me, and she really does try to get along, but at heart she was a noble clan kid and so believed that there was a certain way things were meant to be. Josuke and Saori were clan heirs and so obviously deserved to be in the top two spots. Josuke, the Nijimura heir being above the noble clan heir that was Makioka Saori was a bit off, but understandable. I, However, as one of the last two members of a minor family, one that was never big enough to really be a 'Clan', was sitting in what should be her spot as a member of a noble clan that had an active bloodline at third place.

Luckily, she doesn't hate me for it from what I can tell. She was just a bit confused and curious at how I got to the spot. Like a lady of the court bemused by the story of how some peasant might have gotten the ear of councilman.

Amused by the mental image, I turned my head in her direction and smiled, asking, "so what's with the mini frisbee?"

"Stupid thing is lead," she replied with a pout and a glare at the bit of metal, "I'm supposed to use my bloodline to make it larger by 'spreading out its mass', whatever that means, then move on to the opposite with cardboard, but it's not working at all, throwing boulders is so much easier."

We sat there for a while, me laying down and trying to nap on the surprisingly comfortable pebbles as Josuke quietly took notes next to me. Fū attempted to read the scroll with Saori and Rokuro but spent more energy in complaining about being bored and trying to poke them into doing something else. Rokuro was dealing with it with the stock patience of a monk, but I could practically see Saori's 'Fū's bullshit meter' filling up rapidly, I was looking forward to seeing what was going to happen when it exploded. It was always an amusing show… as long as I could avoid being in the zone of the explosion. Taura was still staring at the piece of lead, the piece of lead choosing not to respond to her heartfelt glances.

"So how did the meeting with your future team go?" I asked Josuke after realising that I was probably not going to get to sleep with the noises coming from the other group. Saori had started to get more snappy and loud in her replies to the younger girl, Rokuro was doing his best to calm her down, but it was apparent that the fuse to the bomb was already lit.

It seems like the Jounin had slowed down the trading and bartering at this stage, enough that some future teams have started the 'get to know everybody' meetings anyways.

"Was alright…" he muttered back, still at his notes, "Apparently my sensei is going to be Eguchi Yuina-san, "the fact that he didn't know who was going to teach him showing that he had not needed to look himself, typical clan heir. "You know, that young Jounin who used to get assigned to teach the younger classes as a punishment every once in a while?"

"Her? hmm... I remember wondering if it was her or Hiraoka-sensei who was being punished with those classes, "I replied, both of us chuckling at the memories. The fight between him and myself not being the only case of Eguchi-san proving to be a less than stellar influence. "She wasn't bad at teaching if I remember right, just a bit 'kick them in the deep end' about it. You could have gotten worst."

"Definitely could have got worse than someone who made Jounin only a couple of years after becoming a Genin." He confirmed.

"How about your teammates? Who are you going to be with?"

"Me!" Taura interrupted happily, puffing up like a pigeon in pride, "She even wanted me enough to convince the Jounin who my clan got for me to trade!" To think that I would ever see someone so happy to be treated like a trading card, "and we are going to be teammates with Misumi-hime! I get to be on a team important enough to have two clan heirs!"

"…Who?" I replied in bewilderment, having never heard of this person before in my life, and considering that I thought I know everyone around my age in the village, that was saying something.

"You can't be serious?" Taura asked in shock, eyes wide open, "you don't know who the Hōjō clan heir is?"

"She is a bit younger, like, we had to go to her ninth birthday just last month," Josuke, the bro, said weakly in an attempt to defend me.

"I know who the Hōjō heir is," I replied irritability, not used to being the one to make the faux pas in this group, "I've just never known her name before, I've only heard people call her…," I stop myself here realising that Taura was probably not a good person to use the 'Corpse-princess' nickname around, "… Hōjō-hime. It's not like she trained with us. Is she really going to be a Genin already? At nine?" If I remember right, that was always a bad sign in that story.

"Looks like it" Josuke replied with a shrug, "It makes sense with 'you know what' and everything." He grimaces at the thought.

I was about to reply when a loud shout draws the groups attention back to the other bunch of children.

"You know fucking what? Fine! Let's do something else," Saori said with a too broad smile, eye twitching.

"Really?" Fū yelled back in joy.

"Yes! Really! How about we do some sparing? That sounds fun! You can be my partner."

"Oh... that's… that's ok, but maybe we should finish reading the scroll" Fū replied hastily, finally sensing danger, "it was just getting good! Haha… or if you really what to spar, then I should go with Rokuro? I haven't fought him in a while… you should partner with Shou instead!" she exclaimed suddenly before faking a whisper, "I heard he was working on something to use against you the next time you get tested together."

"Oy!" I quickly interject from my spot, "don't drag me down with you."

"No fucking holds as long as it's not lethal" Saori continued, ignoring the exchange. "Everything you know, clan techniques, personal skills etc. It would be good practice for the real stuff, right?" she states with a demented smile pulling her lips wide.

"b-But Shibuki-sama didn't teach me anything but the basics yet, I need to be a Genin before I start learning the Scale Powder technique and I'm forbidden from using Nanabi's chakra in the village! And you have those scary hand things, that's not fair!"

Saori just leant forward and close to Fū face, eyes shadowed and smile stretching even more, "Well that's just too bad isn't it?" she said happily, showing without a doubt that she knew all that when she made the rules. Then she grabbed the younger girl by the collar of her shirt and dragged her to the other side of the garden, Fū struggling and yelling the whole time.

"What! No! I'm sorry! Guys help!" save _meeee_ ," her cries going unanswered, everyone knowing better than to get in the way of the inevitable when all that would happen would be to join her in her doom.

"You know," Josuke said, cracking his neck and sighing a bit, "I wouldn't mind a spar, staring at this scroll is making my mind go numb," he said this as he stared at me intently.

"… Fine, 20 minutes? I really do have something I want to do latter and being beaten and tired for it would suck."

* * *

After stretching and loosening up we both stood across from each other in a space on the other side of the field from where the desperate cries of Fū were coming from and got into our stances, I crouched a little and began to shift back and forth on my toes, rising my hands to waist height in front of me and to the sides a little, ready to grab my wakizashi or kunai for my pouch while keeping a steady track of his eyes and where he was looking.

Josuke, on the other hand, stood straight and still, stance wide and feet planted, the front foot facing me and the other to the side and at an angle, his hands up and lead arm extended while the back arm tight to his chest, ready to snap out. His fists were balled tight and his eyes, rather than on mine, were steady on my shoulders and hips, centre mass tracking, following the source of the attack rather than the attack itself. If I looked like a cat ready to jump in or run off, he was a bow with its string drawn tight, calm and steady but prepared to go at the right moment.

Rokuro and Taura had moved to sit by the door and were watching us in slight interest, though it was not like this was a matchup they had not seen a thousand times before. Once we both looked ready, Rokuro cleared his throat and loudly called out "Start!"

We both just stood there for a moment waiting for the other to make the first move, in movies these standoffs could take minutes, but at the end of the day, someone had to go first. After a split second I saw that Josuke was about to take a step forward I stole the initiative and shot forward to close-in with a burst, releasing the energy that I was readying with my consent shifting, hand going into my pouch and out to send Shuriken flying ahead of me.

Josuke simply took a steady step to the side and titled he body around the flying stars, but even just that gave me the time I needed to get right up to him, sending a straight punch right at his face. Naturally, he blocked it with his arm, but now he had both of our limbs blocking his vision… _stretch my leg to the side and forward, gripe with chakra and pull myself to the spot, twisting at the ankle_ … and now I was at his flank rather than in front of him rising my other leg to send a side kick right into his neck.

With the tiniest surprised look on his face, He twists at the waist and again blocks the attack, this time with his right elbow, making me wince a little as the bony point of it hits my shin, and joins both his free hands to form a seal all in one movement. Then after pushing my leg back, he throws his own kick right back at me, a stomping straight right at my abdomen.

Taking one step back and gripping the ground once again with chakra I sway to the side in a dodge that had an unnatural angle, far past the point where I should have fallen over, I then swing up again to turn the momentum of the sway into an uppercut that rocketed up from below.

Josuke in response stamps down hard with the leg he just kicked with to regain balance before bringing up the other to guard his middle section, my fist hitting his knee. He once again used his chance to make another seal.

Not willing to let up the pressure I jumped and whirled around quickly drawing (but not _quick draw_ , not quite there _yet_.) my wakizashi and brought it around for a downward slash. Careful not to kill but still having to bite back the worry and trust that my sparring partner to not let himself get too hurt, something you just have to learn to do when it comes to ninja training.

This time Josuke doesn't even bother to block and just moves straight into the next, and last seal. I heard him muster the words hidden technique at the same time my blade came down on his collarbone.

The edge is stopped as it hits a spot of now darkened skin that was peeking out from under the collar of his shirt, only a sliver of superficial blood coming out of what is no more than a paper cut, at that moment his eyes flash and his fist slams into my chest with brute force. Blowing me slightly back as pain flares. Finding it hard to breathe in, I go with it and exhale, not just air but also a stream of poisoned gas right at the other boy just as he was getting ready to pounce on my opening, making him abort the attack to jump back to safety. I also take the chance to create some distance, breathing heavily and reanalysing things for the next exchange.

Hidden technique: Skin Armament. The signature jutsu of the Nijimura Clan and a technique that does what it says on the tin. Hardening the users' skin and muscles to protect from attacks, it was not a very flashy jutsu, but simplicity can be its own strength, and it was the type of jutsu that got stronger with the users' ability with it. Apparently, Josuke's dad was known as Nijimura 'Unbreakable Diamond' Noriaki, with his whole body covered in skin as hard as… well, diamond. Though obviously, Josuke was still within the 'breakable' range. 'Stone' skin? 'Bronze'?... Whatever, it still can keep him from being cut up, I think that the only reason the Nijimura was not finding themselves in a higher position in the village hierarchy was the fact that it was still technically an earth jutsu, and so had problems with Lightning techniques of similar class.

As he stood there, I could see the patch of darkened skin move down from his collar and converge in his arms from his hands to his elbows, creating some sort of organic gauntlets. Setting himself back into his stance he sent me a smirk and did the dreaded 'come at me bro' hand seal. Smiling at this I crouched down and perform a basic clone jutsu to create a copy and shoot forward into the slight mist of poison still hanging between us, sword reared back and ready to slash and crisscrossing with the clone to confuse him.

We continued like this for the next while, myself darting around him as I tried to create or take advantage of blind spots to sneak into his guard as he calmly waits to block and then counter attack, where I would then have to sway around, dodge or even substituted to get away. The clone did not last long, but it distracted him enough for another small nick on his right upper arm and back, though I got a bruise on my left leg and nosebleed for the trouble. As it went on, he started to gain a collection of crossing, thin cuts all along his arms as well as a few punches and a kick to the gut.

If someone who didn't know better were watching, they would think I was dominating the fight, only taking about eight or so hits by the 15-minute mark. But really it was just the typical in-fighter vs out-fighter match. With me getting a lot of small, light hits in and not taking many in return while using up a lot of energy moving around at a high pace. In comparison, while Josuke has taken a lot more hits and landed a lot fewer, he hits are the ones with real power, trying to take me down with each one, all while conserving his stamina by only moving when necessary. So yeah, maybe he was the one that was bleeding little, but I was the one going out of breath and slowing down as we went. When it comes to an out-fight vs an in-fight, it was just a contest of whether the out-fighter could chip away the in-fighter before the in-fighter could get that one perfect hit on the tiring opponent.

Looking at it that way the fight was overall pretty even, which in its own way was relatively new, but over the last year I have been catching up with the other boy, in a straight fight at least, he was still above me at everything else. I would be happier at this development but getting better myself was not the only factor in catching up with him.

I was just about to dive back in when I heard a "Time!" coming from the sideline and let myself relax and put my weapon away, taking the chance to catch my breath and nurse the bruises on my ribcage. Looking up I noticed that Josuke was starting to make his way over, breath more even than mine but still laboured, looking at some of the cuts on his arm with an appraising eye. Giving himself a small nod, he made another set of hand seals before placing his other, now slightly glowing hand over the cuts.

About a year ago one of the main medics from the hospital had let it be known that she was looking for a new student to train and the Nijimura boy had jumped on the chance like a rabid dog, devoting the most significant share of his focus and talent onto the new skill. He never said why he had developed such an interest in Medical Ninjutsu, especially when I remembered him saying that it was a 'girl thing' when we were smaller, but I would have to be an idiot not to guess what he wanted to figure out and maybe fix, so I never forced him to say his reasons out loud.

"So, I guess that was a draw," Josuke said, the cuts slowly starting to close, "Kind of wish that we gave it another 10 minutes, I total would have got you with how you were slowing down."

"Meh, I doubt it seeing as it was not a draw, I kicked your ass," I replied with my best Cheshire cat grin.

"Come off it! It was a tie. There was no way…" he stopped as I started chuckling haughtily at him. Scrunching his eyes, he asked, "Ok… What? What did you do? Cause I don't remember you doing anything that would mean it was my loss."

"Well…" I started, faking an innocent tone, "I'm not supposed to reveal my tricks to my opponent. But I guess as we are such good friends, I can do you a favour…" at this point, I could see a tick developing in his eye and decided to get on with it before he restarts the spar right there. Reaching into a hidden pocket, I pull out a small vial filled with a clear, slightly yellow liquid and held it up for him to look at.

"… What is that."

"This", I stated, "is a mild toxin that I could have covered my sword with at any point during that spar. Granted none of those cuts were very deep, but a few of them did draw a drop or two of blood. So, a trace amount of it should have gotten into the bloodstream. I reckon … 8 minutes before you started having problems and 15 before you would be on the ground pissing yourself from a lack of muscle control."

"But you didn't, and I would have noticed if you had something dripping off your sword and would have been way more careful."

"Oh, maybe… but I could of, and you didn't." I replied, "We are nearly Genin Josuke. Shits going to be real soon and you have to assume that your enemy is going to do stuff like poison their weapons. Your armour is great, but you aren't your dad. You still need to dodge if you can, just to be on the safe side if nothing else." Sure, telling him this now instead of after a graded match where I did use the toxin might… probably will lose me a grade. But like I just said, things are going to be real soon, stuff like grades don't matter.

"Ok, fine I'll give it to you," he replied with a look that said the exact opposite, "but I still think I would have noticed you putting it on your sword."

"Sure, sure" I replied, "what do you guys think?" looking over to the two bystanders to back me up.

"O-Oh! Uh," Taura replied, looking put on the spot, before nervously replying, "Josuke is really good, so I think he would have noticed and fought differently."

"Ha!" Josuke yelled triumphantly.

"Ok… Rokuro-kun?"

"Peeing yourself would not have been very dignified." Was his reply and an excellent way of summing up his opinion without actually answering.

"Ok, Ok, I get it! Dodge more." Josuke said, "so has the other side finish yet…"

As a group, we all turned to look at where Saori and Fū were having their own 'spar' only to see the expected sight. A triumphant Saori with her arms crossed standing tall and proud over the crumpled, defeated form of the younger green haired girl, one foot planted on her back just to send the message home. From her spot on the ground, Fū managed to raise her weary head and look over to the group with pleading eyes, mouthing the words 'save me' over and over.

Looking at her pitiable state, I made the only choice I could. Staring her straight in the eye a small, real smile manages to pull at my lips for just a moment as I gently whisper back.

" _No_."

* * *

 _For the rest of the training lessons she just kept going; Making comments, telling me what she did the previous day, what she learned from her tutors, how funny it was when Shibuki-sama tripped over the rug. And then there were questions after questions, about everything and anything, where, after waiting for an answer that was not coming, she tried to work out the answers herself aloud and ended coming up with some outlandish results._

 _Kono-sensei meanwhile just watched the whole thing play out with slight interest but didn't do anything one way or the other. Just continued with the lesson as if nothing was going on._

 _It shouldn't have mattered if she was talking or not. All I had needed to do was to keep my mouth shut and not interact with her. Except there was a slight problem with that, and why ignoring her was in hindsight a lousy strategic chose on my end._

 _You see, my training in the Fujimori clan's speciality was useful in a lot of ways, especially in the arts of lying and (mis)communication. However, that same training made it a little tricky not replying when I'm being talked too. As being completely silent when someone is talking directly at you was as bad for staying unnoticed in a group as screaming your head off would be._

 _Or more simply, while I'm was still happy to be quiet when left alone, I couldn't really keep my mouth shut anymore if someone was talking to me._

 _"Do you know who made the first tools?" the girl asked into the air, "Like, how did they make their tools without their tools? She got a confused look on her face as she went on, "Does that make sense? Is there other stuff like that?"_

 _"Did the chicken or the egg come first," I replied distractedly as I swung the wooden-sword in the kata that Kono-sensei just showed me. Then Froze for a moment when I realised, I just failed in the one job that I had given myself, before going back to swing the sword like nothing had happened. Kono-sensei gave a huff of amusement at the action and the slip before correcting my movements._

 _Fū stopped in her own rambling at the sound in slight surprise and looked at me for a second, then blew-up in what was the sunniest grin yet. "Oh, yea! That's a good one Shou!... Can you think of any others? Like, oh, oh! Maybe…_

 _After the lesson ended, I quickly escaped home. Only for her to find me the next day training on my own and start chattering away again._

* * *

After the rest of us had finally taken pity on Fū and convinced Saori to let the younger girl go, the group ended up just spending the rest of the day watching movies on the Nijimura's family television. A giant box of a thing with a comparatively smaller screen, and tubs, lots of tubs. It seemed that the world had gotten up to the fifth movie in the Princess Fūn series.

It's weird that those corny movies and the recent funeral of Hisen-sama (apparently there was a large attack outside the village walls that we kids were not told about until our side had already won, kind of scary to think about.) were my best measurements on how close things in the outside world where to kicking off. As I could not for the life of me remember if Fū was the same age or younger then Naruto when she died. If I assume she was younger, between her age right now and the tentative belief that the land of snow thing happened in the filming of the seventh Movie? I think the range of the timeline is one to two years ahead of the start of the story, give or take.

Getting back on track. We ended up watching movies until it was around seven before everyone started to make their way home, Fū wandered off to her own place before we made it back to mine. Despite what you would think about our… thing… she did not come to my apartment very often, and only when she was at her most bored or lonely. Her surprisingly powerful sixth sense keeping her from wanting to be around places my mother could be very often.

I was just about to open the door to the said apartment when It was pushed from the other side. Kono-sensei flashing me a lazy smirk as he took a step out.

"Good evening Sensei, I didn't know you were coming around today." I quickly greeted him with a warm smile; deep and round, warm but without it being sunny, happy to see them but not surprised they are there ( _No:53_ ), to hide my unease at realising that he was in my apartment.

"Hey kid, I was just having a chat with Ayaka-san, I was just leaving now." He replied with a smile, one different than his usual lazy smirk, a little more content than most of his expressions, it made me nauseated. While our rapport never really got closer than teacher and student I still liked and had a lot of respect for the surprisingly deep man. He was far too good of a person for me to approve of him dating my mom.

"Oh, Ok, will see you later then," I replied hastily, far too hastily, my desire to end the dialogue leaking into my voice, a stupid mistake. Kono-sensei noticed, and his body language quickly became far more awkward as his eyes started to dart around slightly for an escape, the typical 'I just did something that got my girlfriend's kid upset and doesn't know what it was' look plastered on his face.

"Right, right, tomorrow yes? We will go over things with the other two as well, make sure everyone is happy to work together and is up to standard." He said distractedly, "See ya." He finished as he disappeared off to wherever it was that he goes in his own time.

I closed the door behind me.

Sitting at the short table in the living area with what looked like dinner spread across it, simple green curry with rice, was my mother. Calmly sitting down at the head of the table in one of her beautiful silk robes, sipping at a cup of tea. She flashed me one of her smiles, lips tugged up and back down quickly and sharply, the upturn of the eyebrows where the intent lay _(hello)_ when I walk into the room before nodding to the spot beside her. I send her the same smile back _(hello)_ as I sat where she wanted me to, I think I see something like pride ghost behind her eyes before it is gone. As I get comfortable, I began to scoop out some of the curry onto my plate.

"So… how long was sensei here today? I don't think he said anything about it at training yesterday," I asked with a small, weak smile ( _showing unease_ )

"Oh, not long. We were just talking and catching up since we both haven't been around the village at the same time lately." She replied with a bright smile of her own, except for the slightly raised eyebrow. _(questioning, asking)_

"That's nice… any dates planned? Sensei should have a bit more time now, I'm at a stage in my Kenjustu that there isn't really anything new to learn for now." I offered her my cup to pour some tea for me as was her job as the host and continued, "Now it's just going to be me hammering what I know into my muscles or making my own little tricks for the next year or two." I end the remark with a smug smirk, twisting the corner of my lip up _(satisfied)_ , "So he won't need to watch over me that much until I'm a Genin, so he should have a bit more time to do things with you!... if you want to?" This time I sent her back the same questioning smile she just gave me, confident that she got what I really asked; I got his teachings, and he is going to be my Genin squad captain so you can stop stringing the poor man alone for my sake if she wanted. It was important that I made it seem like I was saying it for her sake and not sensei's, she would be unimpressed if she thought I was sympathising with a 'mark'.

"…" Surprisingly she didn't reply right away and instead stopped to think about it for a moment, gears turning behind her eyes as she looked off into space at something only she could see, before giving me a demure look and cupped her face in her hands like a shy schoolgirl "You know… I think you're right, I should go on more dates with him, lots more."

I nearly choked on my food as I heard that, and I'm unable to hide the genuine disbelief on my face. Mother actually wanted to continue with this on her own even when I've got what I wanted from him, which means that she was doing it for herself. _"Does she actually…"_

My train of thought stops as she continued, her eyes looking bored as she explains her thoughts mechanically, "The old crones in the upper circles have gotten off my back about marrying and pumping out more children so our clan doesn't die out since he started courting me." She stops to take a dainty bit of her curry before continuing, "And because he is a Jounin he is always working in or out of the village so it's not like he is taking up that much of my time… Add in the benefits social and material I get from or through him and overall I have been finding this relationship stuff worth a few annoying hours a week." The next smile has a full body aspect, as she straightens out her back and puffs out her chest, _(content, plan-working)_ "I'm confident that with his own issues I should be able to keep this going for a few years before he starts with the marriage proposals."

 _"….. Ok, that's a lot closer to what I should have expected."_ I think with exasperation and a bit of disappointment. But I decided to leave it and put it out of my mind, there was nothing more I could do about this, so there was no point in getting more involved, sorry Sensei.

Instead, I moved the conversation on to a more comfortable topic, "So how is the theater club going? I think I saw a poster for something on a wall today. You got a part?"

"Amazing!" she replies in an outburst, a twinkle in her eye and real sunshine on her lips for a moment before catching herself, instantly she is back to elegant and calm, the standard gentle lip tug back in place as if nothing had happened, but it still pulled my own mouth into a big grin. "Everyone has been working quite impressively for this play, and there are already a few tickets sold." She moved a bit closer for the next part as if telling a secret, "and I should not be bragging but director Kishimoto has given me the role of the Lords Konoki guard and mistress who is posing as a…oh!" here she gives a little laugh and cups one of her checks in her hand again, "I really shouldn't spoil things. But you can guess that I have one of the most important roles, so I'm quite excited." Mother stopped to look me in the eye, "It is on this time next week, would you like to go Shou-chan?" that smile was closer to a she-wolf baring her fangs then it was an expression of joy, the message clear as day _(you're going)_

"Sounds fun" I replied quickly, I did not really like Kabuki and Noh. My sensibility's more in line with Shingeki as it had more in common with the western plays in my memory in pace and structure to. But I would still go as this was one of the few things I one-hundred percent sure she actually cared about.

Despite my early reluctance when it came to Fujimori Ayaka, you can't live with and rely on someone for years without growing some affection for them. This was especially true when I finally figured out that she did, in fact, care about me in her own way. So, in the same way, I did care about her in my own way even if I acknowledge that she is by most measures a twisted, twisted individual.

Family was weird like that I guess.

Still, moments like this just helped in finding that fondness for her, these small cracks in her mask. If I had to watch hours upon hours of people in too much makeup talking, sing and dancing too slowly, too loudly and too jerkily then it was worth it.

I did at one point try to find out what made her act this way, but everyone I asked who know her in the past just said that she was a terrifying child that had mellowed over the years. That she was even worse before.

We talked for a bit more as we drank tea, I tried to get the mask to crack again as we went, but it seemed I was only going to get the one this week. Sadly, there was still more thing I wanted to do before the lights went out, so I excused myself and got up to go to my room with the package that I still had under my arm from this morning.

"Oh, Shou-chan" Mother called me just before I was out the door. Turning back, I saw that she had kept herself turned away from me and looking at her cup of tea, one of the few times I've seen her actually use body language to cover up her facial features, this sent off all the alarm bells in my mind.

"Yes?" I replied, face and body as relaxed and neutral as I could make them.

"I think I was fond of my teachers too," she started, voice somewhat whimsical, "and I did enjoy my time with my genin teammates while it lasted, so your concern for Keiki-san was cute." Here a hard edge started to creep in, "But the worst taboo for the likes of us is to get attached to the people the village sends us to manipulate … empathy on a mission will just create pain when you do what you have to… Or make you walk down the path of betrayal, and of course, there is the worst outcome of death." At this point she finally turns to look at me, the gentlest and kindest smile I have ever seen on her pointing at me under eyes that had nothing in them, "For your sake my little Actor, if I ever catch you getting attached to a mark that is not of the village… I'll hold you by the wrist and force you to slit their throat myself, to make sure you learn. Have I been clear?"

The only thing I could do was give her a shallow nod and get out of the room as fast as I could, being careful to not show my shaking hands as I closed the door.

It was stuff like that made myself remember that while she had the best intentions for me, it was only in her own twisted view of things.

And that Fujimori Ayaka, no matter what her past might have been, was not at any point the victim or heroine of the story.

She was just the monster that learned how to act.

* * *

 _The little monster would just, not, give, the fuck, **up!  
**  
It went the same way nearly every day. No matter when or where I changed my training plans she would show up at some point, sit down nearby and talk at me the whole time. And it was not like I could just skip training to avoid her, there is a bare minimum expected from students, so I just had to stay there and deal with it._

 _It shouldn't have mattered if she was talking or not. All I needed to do was keep my mouth shut and not interact with her like I should have done the first day, but it seemed that the first mistake was all the blood in the water this shark needed, and it was getting harder and harder not to respond, even if only to yell at her._

* * *

My bedroom was nothing special. A small square box with just enough room for a bed, some drawers and a desk with a chair and space to walk around it all if you moved sideways. The desk was probably the only thing with a bit of character, nicks and scratch marks from a kunai and a few doodles from over the years half hidden under the books, papers and pencils scattered across it. They were the only signs of life in the minimalist room.

It was at this desk that I found myself at the end of this long day, finally ready to rip open the package that I had gotten that morning. The brown paper tearing away easily to reveal the two books that I was waiting for.

The first was a relatively fat purple book by the title of "The fundamentals of Illusions and deceptions" by Kurama Shiho, _The_ beginners' book on low-level Genjutsu on this side of the world. Counterintuitively, the Fujimori never had much interest in the art of Genjutsu, the few we did collect currently locked away in the villages main archive and only accessible by a clan Chunin or any village Jounin as part of the deal when they Joined Waterfall in the distant past. The clan had thought of them as just short-term solutions and both unreliable and noticeable in the roles and jobs they specialised in. A 'henge' popping or servant walking through a wall that was not there being only a matter of 'when' not 'if' on a year-long infiltration as examples.

 _"However,"_ I thought to myself as I tapped on the hilt of my sword _"I'm a little bit more combat orientated than most Fujimori"_ and so needed a few shorter-term solutions than most. And Genjutsu is right up my ally, I have reasonably decent control, and Genjutsu is possibly the most chakra efficient of techniques… and if I was honest, books on Genjutsu are just cheaper and less restricted then ones on Ninjutsu, especially if you had to buy them from a different village because your village doesn't really have that thing called a dynamic economy.

The reason for this was that Genjutsu had a higher mastery to usability threshold, once you could spit a fireball it was field usable, you could always spit fireballs better, but it would work. A Genjutsu, on the other hand, needs to be tweaked a little depending on where you were or who you were using it on, so an illusionist always required to be a bit more familiar with their tricks than their Ninjutsu counterparts before they brought them to the field. But this is a tangent, moving on.

The other book, an ugly brown thing, was only a little smaller than the first but ten times the expense. The Leaf probably only allowed to be sent off because it was going to a long-time ally village and has been in circulation in the elemental nations for longer than could be remembered, 'The art of seals vol 1', by a monk long lost to time. I think anyone with my (admittedly somewhat foggy now) memories should be able to figure out why I would be interested in seals. Franky, knowing what they had the potential to do I couldn't figure out why the hidden villages didn't force it down their ninjas' throats.

Looking out the window, I judged that there was probably another two hours of light and then maybe another three before the generators stopped of the night. So… One hour for each book should be enough to read a chapter of each and a break before bed, just to see what I'm dealing with before fitting them into my schedule.

Opening the purple book, I began to skim the first page… then frowned as I sat up and tried to trace the words with my finger and concentrated.

Halfway down the third page, I resorted to sounding out every word by syllable before going back over the sentence a second time to make better sense of it. By the end of the next page, I threw the book on the ground in a tantrum. Laying my head on the desk and yelling into the side of my arm to muffle the sound as I tried to work out the bout of anger and frustration, emotions bringing just a little bit of tears to the corner of my eyes.

The level of reading comprehension needed for the book was too high. Like, it was probably too hard for some of my classmates let alone for someone like me. It was ridiculous, back before with English I could read fucking law papers when I had to for both college and work! And I had read for enjoyment, was even thinking of trying to start writing, and now here I am not even able to use what is essentially a beginner 'do it yourself' guide.

After a little bit of breathing exercises to calm myself, taking deep breaths before exhaling slowly for sets of ten, I sat back up and tried to be a bit more rational about it. I was probably being a bit unfair with myself, even in that world of specialised help and accommodation for disability's in a country known for an excellent education system, it still took until I was sixteen before things really started clicking enough for me to read somewhat comfortably.

Staring at the book and forcing down the disappointment I continued along the same thought path; if it's really this hard to do I should just leave it until it's more manageable, it was not like the books were going anywhere. Nodding to myself and coming to a decision I got up from my spot and walked over to my drawers to take out a small pile of word dictionaries before going back to my seat and plopping them down next to the purple book, from there I gave the book a glare before telling it two simple words.

"Fuck you."

And then I want right back into reading the damned thing… In life, there are fights you can easily walk away from and fights you just can't, even if they seem small or petty to others. Frankly, I think the small and petty fights are the ones that matter the most to a person.

It was about two hours and half of the first chapter later that I decided I was done for the day, it looks like this was going to be not a battle but a siege and closed the book. In more curiosity than actually planning to get much done in the half-an-hour left, I opened the book on sealing.

Skimming through the first page it was actually a good bit easier to read compared to the other book, the monk who wrote it clearly worked hard to explain everything in the most straightforward way they could manage. And I got passed the little bit on explaining what seals where reasonably happily and was just starting to look over the first example…

"uhh, math," I grunted to myself, frowning in displeasure if not surprise. However, that frown quickly morphs into a shocked and panic mask as I went on, and ten minutes later, my lips were in a thin line as a closed the book and stared off into space with what I assumed was a hazy look in my eye.

 _"I… understand none of that,"_ I thought overwhelmed, not 'I could not read it' or 'did not understand the terms'. Now I know why even most Jounin did not know much about making seals. Racking my brain, the closest thing I could compare it to would be some unholy mix of Coding and Non-Euclidean Geometry… I could not even remember how to do Coding or Non-Euclidean Geometry, I just remembered being bad at both.

It did not take long for the book to find its way deep in the back of a drawer, not to be touched again for six months except during a clean out of the room before going right back in. Some battles you can't give up on, but some you needed to accept that you lost before you even started.

* * *

 _Two months later and it was the same as two months before. I was standing in the training field, swinging a practice sword as the girl sat nearby and talked at me. It was only at the end, as it got close to dinner time that something changed._

 _"You know what? I am getting hungry… I wonder what shibuki-sama asked the servants to make for dinner? I hope its curry, "Fū said as she rubbed her stomach, "what do you think you're going to get Shou?"_

 _Still not looking at her as I started to finish up, putting my sword down and picking up a towel to wipe off the sweat, I replied casually, "I'm going to go get noodles today." Before beginning to walk away._

 _Smiling with a glint of victory she usually gets when I break my silence the green haired girl quickly responded, "Noodles are great too! I hope you have a good time." She got up herself and started to move off in the direction of the Village Head's residence, "See you tomorrow!" at that I stopped and turned to look at her._

 _"… You want to come?" was all I said._

 _Her eyes widened so much at that simple question that I nearly laughed, and her stupid grin was replaced with something panicked and hesitant, the sunny confidence she had shattering into something shy and unsure at the change in the routine, the break in the rules of the game. Her body curling into itself in defence as she fidgeted with the end of her too large shirt as she looked at me._

 _Still, despite her sudden hesitation, I could see her lean forward in hope as she found her voice again, "y-Ya, ok… great! Let's go…" and with only one more moment of uncertainty, she followed after me as I went to find someone who was selling their cooking on the street._

 _The meal was awkward as hell, she kept on going from uncontrollably excited to be hanging out with someone to acting like I was going to bite her as she waited for the other shoe to drop. A worry that I admitted to myself with a grimace was reasonable with how I was acting until now. Still, once Fū realised that I really wasn't trying something funny she relaxed, and the rest of the meal went fine._

 _And that became the new normal. Fū would still come to training sessions, not every day now as she lowered the pressure of her assault, and I would continue trying to ignore her as I worked, then we would go and do something for a bit after. Rinse and repeat._

 _I didn't break if that is what you are thinking; not from annoyance and definitely not from guilt, I stopped feeling guilty after a week of her nagging thank you very much. But… how do I put it…_

 _I don't really have anything that I care about in this new life that I would put my all into, no real goals, dreams or ambitions, even my stated desire to become a retainer for some lord that sponsors the village was more about the convenience and cushiness of that type of post than anything. Simply put, I don't feel passionate about anything._

 _So even as she was driving me up the wall, I was also finding her dedication to the whole thing… interesting? I could see in Fū eyes the level of commitment to winning this little standoff between us that I had never had for anything, this life or the last._

 _I once heard that people respected in others the things that they feel that they lack themselves. So, I guess I started to admire Fū for her determination, to the point that I started feeling that I wanted her to win… even though that logically meant that I would lose._

 _That doesn't make any sense at all does it? But fuck it, the whole point of calling something a feeling was that it doesn't have to make sense._

 _So yea, I gave her the win and started being friendly with the younger girl out of respect of her drive. Though I'm not sure I even actually liked the brat outside of the above-mentioned drive, she was a bit of an airhead and low-key smartass._

 _Don't get the wrong idea though, it's a fair-weather friendship at best. The moment something like the Akatsuki comes along I'm jumping ship faster than you could blink, respect only goes so far._

 _To me, she is not someone worth playing the villain, to risk the world. Just a kid that being nice to should not hurt too much…_

* * *

Crawling into the bed, I laid down and gave a sigh of relief, overall happy with how the day went. Outside of the door-slam that were seals, everything else I was interested in doing at the time was at least making some progress. And while I was still a bit apprehensive over becoming a Genin, less than one month away by this point, the excitement of finally reaching a multi-year long goal and moving on with life had now surpassed that apprehension.

So, it was thinking that things were looking as good as they could be expected to be that I went to sleep that night, not knowing that tomorrow would be my first real brush with death in this world.

I would never find out exactly who or what caused it, or whether it was an accident or something malicious. That information would never find its way into my hands.

All I would know was that the next day would be the first time Fū lost control.

* * *

 **So, the reason why this chapter was so large and took me so long is simple… it's to fix up my fuck ups.**

Chapter eight was made to tie up all the loose ends and to end the learning arc because with the pacing I had before we would be here forever. I can't say I super happy about it. Particularly when it comes to Fū, instead of showing the development of her and Shou's rocky friendship over a couple of chapters I did it in one… and half through flashbacks. And this would not have needed to happen if I had just added her earlier in the story. But yea, no point crying over spilt milk, let's just move on and try to pace things better next time.

Now to the other big thing I know people are going to get mad about… Seals.

In-universe Shou is not going to learn much about seals because it's the narutoveses equivalent of quantum mechanics and make his head spin at the best of times.

Out of universe… Seals are used as a Deus ex machina even in canon, and fandom is even worse, they have become basically a 'solve all'. If your character has a problem and you as the writer don't want to figure out a clever way for them to get out of it but make it look like it was clever? Seals.

I'm not saying you have to use Seals as a Deus ex machina, but I am saying that they are super tempting and I think even the good writers overuse seals when they have characters who use them.

I don't…. _Hate_ Deus ex machina as a writing tool, sometimes you just can't think of something and need it to just move things along, but I like to limit it and mix it up if I must use it.

So I am making the choice to limit Shou's (the characters) to use of seals to limit my(the writers) options to use of them as a 'solve all'. Think of it as a writing challenge.


	12. Chapter 9 edited: May2019

Chapter 9.

Thanks to Dark as Silver on Spacebattles forum for some help with this one.

Don't own Naruto etc...

* * *

That morning I skipped the early personal training and let myself sleep in, figuring that I would want to be at my best for the first pre-finals meeting of the future team. And not just because I was taking advantage of the excuse to sleep in.

After a healthy breakfast of eggs and rice, I made my way out of the village and into a field like training ground that had a punching-post set under a tree right in the middle. That spot was Koro-sensei's preferred place to train, so it was not a surprise that it had been picked to be the meeting point for the team. Despite the sleep in, I still seemed to have been the first one that arrived at the spot. Casually, I jumped up onto the post and sat down, using just a bit of chakra to make sure I was stuck well and good. Now comfortable, a hand snaked its way into the folds of my silk kimono shirt to pull out a homemade food bar, crushed nuts, dried fruits and dates in a mix of honey and butter and stuck into the icebox overnight. The perfect post-breakfast snack.

I had just taken my first bit when my two future teammates made their way into the clearing, while I was not surprised to see Rokuro and Saori, we _had_ talked about who was it that would be our respective Jounin, but I was happy that it was them I would be working with over the many other possibilities'.

Having already got me as a shoe-in, Kono-sensei had basically only needed to lobby for Saori as a student, with Rokuro being part of the deal as the girl was very clear to everyone that had tried to ingratiate themselves with her that she would not be on a team that he was not on. The Jounin had to have been chuffed at his luck that he could use all of his pull to get the most significant clan heir and still get two other relatively decent, if not very important, students while he was at it.

"Hello Shou-kun, it's good to see you this morning" said Rokuro as he made his way closer to the post, hands folded into the long sleeves of that Chinese-like get up, face set in that calm but serious 'good boy' look that still made him come off as a bit square despite all the toughening up he had gotten over the years.

"Yo Shou, where the hell is sensei?" Saori added, in contrast, the girl had a look of bored impatience plastered on to her still amazingly ordinary face. It really was a shame that she could still hide in a crowd without even trying, even her attempts at makeup, a bit of eyeshadow and lip gloss, were the shades that most girls our age used.

I could have helped her with something more striking, but the fact that I know more about makeup than any of the girls in my year thanks to my training was a secret I wanted to hide from Jouske and the guys for a long time yet. Thank you very much.

"No idea, he just said to meet here so we can go over things" I replied around bits of the bar, "I haven't seen him since last night." After a moment of standing around they too sat down, but at the base of the post instead of on it, Saori then stuck her hand out and up at me demandingly, and with reluctance, I broke off a piece of the other end of the bar and passed it to her.

After a minute or two of waiting around for Kono-sensei without any sign of him, Rokuro tentatively spoke up.

"Do you think we should start without him or wait?"

"Maybe it's a test?" Saori added, then looked around for someone hiding, "He might be watching us to see if we are going to take the initiative."

I considered that idea for a minute, thinking through what I know about my part-time teacher of years before replying, "Na… That doesn't sound like Kono-sensei," I shook my head as I replied in the negative, "Plus, it doesn't make sense to start without him, this whole thing is more for him than for us… We know and have worked with each other for years now, Sensei is the one that needs to get to know you two." I finished and looked around, "He is probably just late, let's leave it for another twenty minutes then we will think of what to do if he still is not here."

Sure enough, Kono-sensei appeared in a whirl of smoke in front of us about ten minutes later, decked out in the standard Jounin uniform. A tiny bit of sheepishness had wormed its way onto his normally bored face in contrast to the impassive stare of Rokuro and distinctly unimpressed glare that had settled on Saori's.

"Sorry about that," he said, starting things off, "The Jounin commander summoned me for a meeting this morning." coughing into his fist he went on, "so now that we are all here why don't we start with some introductions."

Straightening up from his usual slouch he looked down at us from his full six feet plus, making me once again question why all Jounin seem to be taller than everyone else. " The names Kono Keiki, and if all things go well, your team captain and teacher for when you make Genin." he glanced over in my direction and gave a sleepy smile, "I already know Shou-kun, having given him instructions on and off again for the last few years." here he turned his smile in the direction of the other two, " But I am looking forward to getting to know both of you as we work together. While I do expect my Genin to be professional while on the clock, I've near been accused of being a slave driver by my last team…" the slouch was back now as he put his hands in his pockets and relaxed, "Work with me and I'll work with you, and hopefully we will have a good time while we are at it."

 _"Looks like the 'what's your likes, dislikes and dreams' thing is not a tradition here,"_ I thought to myself. Well, that's no fun, it was like going to a movie without the popcorn, unsatisfying. Better fix it.

"Aham" I cleared my throat to get everyone looking at me and to know that I wanted to go next, "As you guys know, I'm Fujimori Shou," I started, flashing smile number 72: (beaming, happy and giddy, with an undercurrent of electric excitement), "I like trying new things to eat and hanging out with friends. I dislike writing reports and pointlessly complex traditions and rituals that I'm still forced to learn like tea ceremonies... my dreams for the future… don't really have any, become a Chunin and get a job as a retainer I guess, and to avoid getting involved with anything too ridiculous." I finished with a polite little bow to Kono-sensei as was proper for this type of meeting. "Thank you for having me."

Kono-sensei looked a little amused by the display of formality, but knew enough about my family at this stage to know that it was just how we do things if we are not sure what else to do. Giving me a nod in understanding he then turned to the other boy in the field with an expectant look.

"Hello" the boy started with, "I'm Rokuro of waterfall and ward of the Makioka clan, it's a pleasure to meet you Kono-sensei," A quick bow just like mine, "I like reading and chakra exercises, I dislike pointless arguments and having to wake other people up in the morning." A little glare at our third teammate who glanced away at the look. "my dream is to repay the Makioka clan for taking me in and to support Saori-chan in the future."

"Makioka Saori." the only girl said curtly, rolling her eyes at the whole thing, "I like training and when I get first place at things, like finally taking the top spot in Taijutsu from a certain pair of idiots," here she sent me a less than subtle smug look that I responded like the mature soul that I was by sticking my tongue out at her, "I dislike it when people are stupid and don't just do what I tell them to. I don't have a dream, I'm _going_ to be the head Jounin one day, just try and fucking stop me!" she stuck her chest out so proudly at that declaration that I assume that she hadn't realised that she had just sworn at a superior…

Luckily for her, Kono-sensei just shook his head in amusement at the bold claim and replied dryly, "Then I hope you remember to give your old sensei a raise when you get there."

"Of course, Hiraoka-sensei deserves it." She shot back with a smirk, getting a little chuckle out of everyone.

"Oh? Fine then, just for that our first bit of training will be a spar, but instead of against each other, It's going to be all of you against me," he said, walking over to a more open spot in the field, "Then we will see if you still feel like cracking jokes at my expenses."

"But sensei," Rokuro said calmly as he moved to follow the older man, taking out two kunai and wrapping ninja-wire through the hoops on the ends of the handles, "you just said you would not be a slave driver, you wouldn't be lying to us on the first day, would you?"

"…" at that sensei turns to me and gives me a flat look. "Ok… That's more sass then any Genin has given me on the first meet, it usually takes about a week after they get their headbands that they realise that they can get away with it, what did you do to get them to think so little of me already brat."

"Nothing." I said with a look of Innocence as I moved into place across from him, "Just that you're ok with a bit of ribbing," I point over to the other boy, "don't let the good boy vibes fool you, deep down he is just a big pile of sass and snark." In response, Rokuro turned his head away from me with a huff, not even dignifying me accusation with a response… nor a denial.

"Can you people stop talking and get to it?" the only girl stated as she joined us, standing to my left and behind me as Rokuro mirrors her on my right, creating with our bodies a sort of arrow formation pointed at sensei. The advantage of learning together meaning we had some basic strategy from the past.

Kono-sensei just smiled lazily at this as he rolled a shoulder, not even bothering to touch the katana hilt that poked out over his should, "You have an hour to get one hit on me, no limits, come at me with the intent to kill if you went a hope for success" he said it! Some things are just fated to be.

"Ready… set…GO!"

At that, I rushed forward as the other boy threw the now faintly glowing kunai into the air as Saori started to work through her handseals. Sensei just stood still on the spot he picked and waited for us.

Before I had gotten too close though I started to slow down from my run into a jog and then slowly stopped a few feet away from the man, still with my guard up but obviously not getting ready to attack. I then stared at him hard as he just raised an eyebrow at me. Lifting one finger up in a questioning manner and opened my mouth as if I was about to ask him something.

It was that moment that sensei jumped off the ground to avoid the phantom hands that had risen from said ground to grab his ankles, the same hands that my distracting behaviour was meant to give Saori the time she needed to create.

Now in mid-air, sensei was in place for the second part of the attack as Rokuro's kunai moved in from above, rather than trying to dodge Kono-sensei just scooped the speeding blades out of the air by their handles with one hand. But the move had set up the last part of the combo the moment that his eyes darted up to the blades and away from me.

 _-Spring forward as low to the ground as possible until you pass under him, twist-spin around, and jump up with right arm cocked-_ and now I was right behind him and ready to rabbit-punch him right in the aghck!—My train of thought was derailed as without even looking sensei's hand shot back and roughly grabbed me by the neck and throw me, tumbling, clear across the field. As I was spinning through the air, I just barely caught what had happened next.

At the same moment I was thrown, a surge of chakra had moved down the wire that was connecting the kunai that were now in Kono-sensei hands back to Rokuro. I assume pushing the boy's own chakra back as if it was not even there, and made the wire go into big loops that had wrapped around the boy and then whipped him to the side and off his feet. The move crashing him into the girl of the team and making her lose her hands contact with the ground as she was knocked head over heels, the ghost-like limbs disappearing in a haze.

Sensei then landed back in the same damned spot he was in when he first jumped, and looking like he had not used any effort during the whole thing.

"Not bad," he said, looking us over, "basic 'one attacking in close, two supporting from ranged'. And you lot used all the angles you could, front, below, above and the back. The distraction was a bit ham-handed Shou-kun, but in a weird way that made it even _more_ distracting then something more normal… "he yawns slightly, the smug bastard, and continues, "as a group, I'll give it a six out of ten. It might have actually worked on most Chunin if you bunch were a bit stronger, faster, had better control etc... if you were not trainees basically."

Here he looked at me with a faked look of sadness, shaking a finger at me, "You, however, lose a lot of points by trying to use the fading technique _that I helped you make_ on me and expecting it to work." Ok, that's fair, but it's kind of hard to stop using something that is kind of my default style. But I am not dumb enough to say that right then.

"Well…" here he let out an exasperated sigh and gave us another once over. As if he was the one being forced to do this and not the one who came up with the idea, "let's get this over with…" and he starts to walk forward while cracking his knuckles…

It was a Massacre. Saori's bloodline could not catch him, Rokuro's kunai were turned on to himself more often than not, and everything I could do; Taijutsu, Kenjutsu, poison etc... he already knows about and brushed them aside like nothing. The only upside was that he was content with just throwing us around instead of actually beating the shit out of us like he could have done. So, by the end of the hour, as we laid crumpled in a pile at his feet as he stared down on us in amusement, it was just our egos that were bruised.

After that we just spent some time reviewing what would be on the graduation test, just to make sure, though it was not like we would not be graduating. Waterfall did not have the numbers to allow someone to flunk. If it looked like someone was not ready by this point, they would just have been thrown back a year or forced to stay extra hours with Hiraoka-sensei. If you were able to be a ninja, you were going to be a ninja. That lack of real choice really saved me a moral dilemma.

We were just about to start practising our transformations, I was actually going to ask Kono-sensei about a trick I thought up. (ok… a trick I'm stealing from my memories, but that just means it definitely works!) When we, as a group, heard and felt it. A distant, slow, but powerful boom, very different from the sharper sound from an explosive-note, that was followed by a slight tremble of the ground. Not much, like standing next to a speaker with a lot of base.

By the time we three Pre-Genin had blinked and turned in the direction of the sound, Kono-sensei had already jumped to the top of the tree and was peering into the distances hard. The difference in experience shining through at that instant.

Taking a moment myself to scan the direction of the explosion with my eyes. By the sounds, it had originated from the other side of the village, which made no sense as all the training fields for that type of…

Two more explosions in rapid succession, much smaller but still big enough to feel something through my feet just went off in the same area. All three of us jumped a bit at that and And an unbelieving look passed between us.

 _"Something is happening,"_ I thought to myself with alarm, still finding it hard to processes what should be obvious. But this was Waterfall, 'something' does not happen here, that's the whole point of the place. I was just about to comment, ask what we should be doing, when Sensei's voice broke through the hesitation, clear and powerful with authority that I had never seen from him before.

"I'm going," he said curtly and sharp, the minimum needed, "Stay here unless ordered otherwise or to protect yourselves… don't get involved and don't get in the way." And with that, he was gone in the same burst of smoke he had arrived in earlier. Too fast for the protest from Saori at being told to stay out of the way to finish forming on her lips. Instead what happened was that the young Kunoichi in training was left to cuss up a storm at nothing but the empty training grounds.

In comparison, Rokuro and I just shared a look, both of us having the same internal debate; that while it hurt that he did not trust us to help, we were also kind of glad we could sit this one out, that we were not yet put in a position of respectability.

So, there we were, three individuals who had trained their wholes lives to protect their home, just standing there not knowing what to do like an intern in a crisis… its official, being the newbie at work sucks in every life.

Another explosion, followed by smoke wafting up over the canopy, with three kids (two kids and an 'it's complicated'.) watching on.

* * *

The explosions _-boom-_ had slowly been making their way closer, drifting in the direction of the training ground we were in, though sometimes the position would change by miles for no discernible reason, as if the source had teleported or was driven off for a bit before regrouping and starting again.

Weirdly, the time just sitting around had been the most stressful twenty minutes of my second life at that point. Just from the… impotence, of not doing anything _-crash-_ but not having the ability to escape from the situation because of orders to stay where we were. Just being left to watch the smoke rise from another new spot in the distance, hearing the great booms of the blasts, juxtaposed against the eerie quietness of the field.

All other life had fled or was hidden by that point, and our group of three were not in the mood to talk, and the absence of noise had given the dead air an almost physical weight. It had made me jittery, my left leg bouncing where I was propped up against the tree _-bang-_ to release some of the anxious energy. The other two having had no experience with this type of prolonged dread were faring a lot worse.

Rokuro had basically turned to stone leaning against the post. At first, he was wound up tight and ready jump into action; going over basic emergency procedures, sharping his kunai and climbing up and down the tree to see if anyone was coming to give us orders. But as time went on and nothing on our side of things had changed, all that energy had just bled out of him at some point, leaving the boy just staring out coldly and flinching _-boom-_ slightly at every new crashing sound.

Saori was worse, and potentially building into a problem. After finishing her cuss out of Sensei, she had started pacing and had not stopped, I could see a light trail being pressed in the grass along her chosen path. While she was not muttering, you could see from the increasingly cross look in her eyes that she was playing out the argument that sensei did not wait around long enough for her to start in her mind, and that Saori was slowly working herself up as she did. The repeated sounds off in the distance _-crush-bang-_ just increasing her agitation more and more.

So, there we were, with only my twitching, Rokuro's stares and Saori's insistent pacing to keep us calm and sane. Really, what happened next did not take me by surprise, though that did not change the fact that it was the most problematic thing she could have done.

"It's been quiet for a bit…" Rokuro said weakly and unsure, "you guys think it's over?"

"Probably just another quiet spell, we can't know for sure," I said back, not really expecting anything after the last six times things stopped only to start up again a minute later.

"Arhhh! That's it!" the girl yelled out, stomping on the ground an and pulling at her hair in frustration, "I'm going to help." She purposely started to move off before stopping to look around at us when she noticed that neither of the boys in the group had moved, "Well? You two coming?" she asked edgily.

"What exactly are we going to do that someone else would not be doing already Saori-chan, and doing it better at that?" I asked back, pointily trying to make it sound like an actual question and not sarcasm, never make someone defensive if you want them to see your side of things, "we are not ninja yet Saori-chan, we can't help yet."

"Come off it Shou," she replied, brushing what I said aside, "We could beat most of the year before us when they were graduating, and they are Genin now. That means you and I are _stronger_ than most Genin. Of course, we could help."

Damn that was arrogant, or maybe just sheltered, we had spent most of our training being told we were the best thing since rice, I probably would have 'big fish in the small pond' syndrome too if I didn't have a bit more knowledge then I should…

Either way, just calling her out on it would be useless, she'll just dig her heels in more. "Kono-sensei knew how strong we were, and he thought we would not be able to help, that means that it might be a _Jounin-level_ problem," she glared at that, but I had seen the little bit of hesitation on her face at the idea that what was happening might be something the elites would be needed for, so I pushed on fast, "… I don't like it ether Saori-chan, but that was what he decided. And he is the Jounin, not us." She looks down at her feet at that, I had nearly won, but just as she looked like she would give _-BOOM-_ and her resolve had strengthened again.

"Dammit Shou…" she looks up with pinprick tears in her eyes that she was desperately working to keep down, "It doesn't matter if we are strong enough or not, it's our home!" she said, a look of real pain, not just the anger and frustration of before flashing on her face. "that one, … that one passed near where my house is, my mom was home today… please, I can't just do nothing anymore."

I flinched back at that, not having a good response to something that personal on hand. I needed a moment to think of something _-bang-crash-, but that's not HELPING!_ Luckily, I was saved by an interruption for the other boy in the field at that moment.

"We were ordered, not just told, to stay here Saori-chan," Rokuro said nervously from the side, "I'm worried for Hiroko-sama too, but we have to follow orders."

"I don't care! We can't just stay here while who knows what is happening to the village waiting for orders we all know are not coming."

"Rokuro-kun is right Saori," I butted in, the other boy giving me a logical point to double down on, need to get him something nice later, "We were given orders, and as ninja, it is our responsibility to follow."

She was turning to look at me from the word 'responsibility' and glared, really glared, not her usual half aggressive half banter looks but something hardened with a conviction, and I realised that I had said something wrong.

"…I'm the next _-smash-_ head of the Makioka clan Shou, my _responsibility_ is to protect my village, my clan and my family!" Damn, that's the problem with trying to manipulate someone you don't see in movies or books, you can say the 'theoretically' right things, but you can't ever be sure someone will internalise what you say the way you want them to.

She took a few steps away before stopping and turning back to us, a crack in the mask of anger and conviction letting some of the fear out, "please guys… come help me." I'm embarrassed to say that it was only at that point I realised that despite what she wanted to do, she was too scared to do it by herself, and that was why she had not just left without us.

"Of course," despite the unsure look on his face, Rokuro did not hesitate to support his long-time friend, quickly moving from his spot and standing beside her, the two sharing a look of understanding and gratitude each. And annoyingly that fear that was keeping her here just eased up a bit. Then they looked at me, and I just stared back with a blank face as I considered things.

I did not want to do this, it was stupid on multiple levels.

One, we were not ready no matter what they thought or were told. Even the strongest amateur was unlikely to beat the weakest Professional, let alone someone or something that was causing a whole ninja village problems. Two, we would get in a hell of a lot of trouble for breaking orders, Saori did not really comprehend that Rokuro and I did not have the protection that in some ways out-ranking the people who would be reviewing your behaviour that she could take for granted. The punishment for this kind of act thing would be a slap on the wrist for her but would leave us without a hope of ever getting past Genin. And lastly, and most importantly, I could die. And the Fujimori clan has a moto about situations that could kill you.

'Avoid them.'

I get that as a ninja dying in a mission was a significant possibility and so on and so forth, but that does not mean that I'm in a rush to get in my grave.

Whatever was causing the explosions _-Boom-Bang-_ that are getting a little closer _-holy-shit-I-think-I-felt-that-one_ was a dangerous situation that I had no obligation yet to get involved with, _so I don't want too_. But as I looked at the steel that was harding in the eyes of my two teammates the other side of the problem started weighing on my mind.

If I refused to go with them, I would be safe… but my future teammates would remember this, that I was a 'coward' for doing the smart thing, and I would have to deal with them for years. And if both of them died and the Makioka found out that I refused to back up their princess… I did not even what to think about that.

And for the sake of being honest with myself… there were two kids I watched grow up getting ready to run into a battlefield standing in front of me. Did I really have it in me to abandon them?

"For fucks sake," I muttered as I took a deep breath and then let it out as a sigh, getting up from my spot and giving them a calm but obviously ticked off look while sticking my hands into the pockets of my pants to hid their shaking, "for the record, I don't like this, and I'm telling everyone you intimidated and threatened me into helping you. And you shouldn't bother denying it, I lie better then you tell the truth."

"Pfft," the girl snorts a little at that, but it didn't hide the little, wobbly, grateful smile that was on her lips "fine, whatever," then after rubbing her eyes, she tries for a little smirk, "and language Shou, otherwise you have to stop giving out about mine." Rokuro lets out an unwilling giggle at that lame reply, which just showed that I was not the only one trying to conceal their nervousness.

We started to move, making our way quickly to the edge of the training field in the direction of the village when I heard something new, not something I could place, but something I had vague familiarly with, a sort of deep wailing/whistling sound that was getting bigger and louder from… above us?

Looking up and over and saw a flash of something red, with fluttering wings and claws, land just ahead of us with a ground-shaking crash that threw up a wall of dust.

Then there was a roar, a wave of something that _caused no pain but shredded my soul_... And the next time I was aware I was laying metres away clumsily trying to stand back up and blink black and red dots out of my eye, not understanding why it tasted like a tide of copper was flowing out of my mouth.

Shakingly I managed to get myself on to my hands and knees and strained my neck up to look at the cause of all this, who was hunched over something and facing slightly away from me, through the black dots.

It was horrifying, what I thought was simple red colouring at a glance was actually the raw, bare muscles of the creature exposed to the air, still pulling and twitching with every movement. The figure was hominoid and surprisingly small and thin, not from malnourishment, but because it was just built that way, but there were also traits that were very much unhuman, claw-like hands, glowing white eyes and two large, see-through wings like dragonflies. All of this in a coat of red chakra so think I could see and feel it; dark, angry and wild.

I would have never have recognised her without those old memories, but as it stands the first thing to pop into my mind and out of my mouth was a sad and confused, "Oh _Fū…_ "

The transformed Jinchūriki twitched at the sound and sat up straight, slowly turning to face me with those glowing, empty eyes and a severed arm clenched between her teeth. I only just noticing the growing pool of blood coming for the thing _(body_ ) that Fū was just hunched over. And at her glance that dark energy that I had only felt at the edge of my senses hit me like a brick.

I could not move, I could not think, I could not breathe _Icouldnotscream…_

The girl _-monster-_ breaks me out of it with a growl, a thick, gravely thing that I know should have been impossible for the tiny girl. As she eyed me with the look of a praying-mantis in front of food.

I ran

She _-it-_ followed.

* * *

So... you guys were complaining about the in-story stakes, right?


	13. Chapter 10

_This part is brought to you by finally deleting League of Legends from my computer._

Thanks to IvanDead and TotallyNotEvil for the spelling checking.

* * *

 ** _What separates man from beast?..._**

 _"Move, move, move!"_ I thought desperately, throwing myself to the side just before a red blur rocketed past me, tearing up the ground as it went, the wave of compressed air that followed launching my body another few feet away. Twisting in the air to get my feet under me, I landed with a thump and was running once more, forcing my body to keep going even as my mind was gibbering in horror at the near miss. A millisecond later and the open field I was in was replaced by forested one.

I frantically looked around as I run. Trying to find even halfway decent cover, _"Hide, got to hide, got to find a place to"_ A flash of red and the transformed girl appeared in an instant from the corner of my eye right, ripping right through trees next to me as if it was not there as her hand-claw reaching out for my face. As my mind short-circuited, instinct took over, and my body went through a set of handseals with the speed and familiarity of long years of practice as I traded places with a tree branch right as that red claw would have scattered my brains across the ground, wood bursting into a thousand splinters instead. I took off again, somehow even faster than before, _"to run, keep running, don't stop dontstopdontstop..."_

 ** _From killer and predator?..._**

I swerved and bobbed, changing directions at as odd of intervals as I could, like a panicked rabbit running from a hungry fox. And was rewarded when just as I had randomly hoped off the ground into the treeline, the red blur of murder went for her next lunge she only clipped me in the side with her elbow instead of skewering through the back. Instead of dying right there I was just thrown sideways with a shocked scream into and through one of the smaller trees, hitting the ground with a roll and that helped me back to my feet, left side numb and arm dangling loosely and unresponsive, but still alive and still moving.

Suddenly the crashing and booming stopped, leaving a deep silence if not for a slight buzzing sound that I could not quite place my finger on. Frantically, I looked back and forth for the girl-beast, in the trees or on the ground, I found nothing, she was just gone. Hope bloomed in my chest and taking the chance I jumped behind some large rocks by a fake pond (wait? This training field was only a minute away from where I started, I've barely gone anywhere!) and crouched down, leaning up against the rock as I heaved in air and gave my shaking legs the rest they desperately needed. Still, even in my state, I kept up the scanning around me for Fū, or at least were that suspicious buzzing was coming from. Waiting but not really believing that she had gotten bored or distracted.

 ** _Fear._**

Even though I know I shouldn't, my eye left its frantic looking for a moment to glance down at my injured side. Seeing it, I could not hold back the wince and slight nausea.

The sleeve was ripped to ragged stripes that barely hang off the wrecked limb. It was dislocated at the shoulder, the arm hanging limply and bending in the wrong ways at the elbow and wrist, fractures, the whole thing swelling up and turned shades of purple, black and yellow in places. The numbness starting to be replaced with an increasing burning sensation, ignorable for now, but if I didn't get to safety soon, the pain will leave me too crippled to protect myself.

"Where is that buzzing coming from…" I muttered to myself as I wiped some of the blood off my face that was streaming down from my nose and eyes. As I continued the search for the sound that was getting louder by the moment, clamping down on the part of me that in cold horror knew that bleeding from such places was far worse a sign than any mangled arm.

 ** _A killer feels fear…_**

But for the life of me I could not figure out where that buzz was coming from, part of me felt like I should, but the panic, pain and adrenaline had created a fuzz in my mind, only by relying on where my training told me to look was getting me past that fog. But she was not where that training told me she should be. Not on the ground or in the trees, there was no trembling to indicate her being underground, and there was nothing but my rock that would be large enough to hide her, especially with the extra size her new wings… you moron!

Eyes popping in sudden fright, I spun around in a last ditched attempt to escape when I felt something slam into my leg, a projectile that paradoxically felt firm but soft and gooey, yet still hit with enough force to throw me back up against the rock I had just realised was a wholly useless hiding spot. Looking down I saw a sticky, off-white substance in a weaved net covering my leg and sticking it to the rock behind me, before my eyes, that net hardened into something as hard as steel, trapping my leg as surely as if it had fused with the boulder. The two quick, panicked, desperate pulls on the trapped leg letting me know that as a fact.

 ** _And kills to stop feeling it…_**

Face pale from blood loss, pain and terror, I once more looked up into the treeline and then, like I should have been from the beginning, even higher, into the open air above me, and saw her there, slowly descending on her set of dragonfly-like wings. An Idle part of my mind noted that the creepiest part of it was how limp her body was as she hovered, arms and legs swaying like rags in the wind with each movement. But that part of my mind was drowned out the screaming of the rest of my thoughts, _"I'm going to die, she is going to kill me, I don't what to die, I don't what to di"_

She landed in front of me with a small thud, and once again that overpowering toxic chakra flowed over even my underwhelming sensing ability, and suddenly my mind was washed blank of anything else, no plans, no thoughts of strategy, training and instincts gone without a trace. Even the most basic of thoughts, to fight or run, could not find purchase as I stared dumbly at that primal death slowly walking up to her trapped meal. I was no more than any other Pray that was paralysed by its inability to control its own panic.

 _A stray thought passed through the fog of my mind, a smaller me looking up at mom as she gave me one of her fake 'serious' smiles, "Uh, mother?" I let a bit of confusion leak into my voice. "I don't think most people can just change how they think or feel just like that, they're kind of, well, how someone thinks and feels."_

"Aaah aah!" I whimpered out feebly as my body pushed itself further into the wall as the red-fleshed and white eye child lazily took another step. For just for a moment, a warm sensation in my pants and down my leg snapped me back to reality and replaces a little of the fear with shame. I was going to die, and I could not even calm myself enough to be dignified in front of it.

" _Oh no," she chirps. She kind of perked up as the conversation changes topics. That smile shifting to something wicked for just a second to my young eyes. "It's really easy!" she leans in as something flashes in her eyes, "Look I'll show you."_

 ** _A Predator smells fear…_**

Another step, her hands-turned claws digging into and pulling up the soil as she moved forward. _"Breath slowly in, then breathe out."_ haltingly, I drew in the air, the shaking of my body making it harder than it should have been.

The next step and I could start to see the patterns on her wings, a strangely beautiful thing with their crisscrossing even in this horrible scene, _"Imagine yourself floating in a void with nothing but darkness around you."_

I could smell her now, the scent of blood, bubbling up and around her exposed muscles and smeared on her claws and lips, " _Now imagine in front of you a dot of light; it slowly widens into a circular hole in the darkness just in front of you."_

Another step and I could hear her breath, raged and with a hit of a low, gravely growl underneath, by that point I had closed my eyes, trying to block out all distractions, _"Then take all of the frustration, the shame, the heat and the anxiety as physical things that slowly gather into a ball in your hand."_

The last step and the Jinchūriki was right in front of me, I could feel the tremendous heat come off of her on my skin as I felt her start to lean in, I screwed my eyes shut even tighter and held my breath, _"finally simply drop the ball into the hole and watch it and the hole suddenly disappear."_

A sniff, the feel of hot breath on my face, and the sound of a jaw clinking and popping as it was opened far too wide.

 _Breathe in, breathe out._

The tension in my body relaxes, the shaking, and the pain from my injuries pushed to the back of my mind, the mental fog created from her chakra and murderous intent brushed from my mind to be replaced by a dull clarity. I opened my eyes to stare into the raw red muscles of the girl's chakra covered face, inches from my own and tilled just slightly to one side, mouth opened wide to chomp down on my jaw or neck. And I do the only thing that I had left to me, I stared her in her blank, primal, white eyes with my own soft brown ones without fear.

 ** _And backs off when they don't._**

The Jinchūriki jerks back in a slight fright and confusion as the sudden change in behaviour triggered a hindbrain reaction. Not a big one, the girl just went from leaning forward to leaning back with her spine ramrod straight. Giving me the kind of look you would see on a dog when the cat it was worrying just swiped its nose. In my calmer state, I not only noticed this, but one other small thing as well... That her new position was not the best to react or move from.

With calm and smooth movements that did not give off a hint of intent, malicious or not, my right hand moved down to my side and grabbed the hilt of my blade. I then pushed back with my body to brace the scabbard between the rock and my lower back to compensate for having only one arm and locked my eyes on the spot I was aiming for and _filled the sheath of the sword with chakra, letting it pool around the blade until it felt like there is no more space… **and Draw!**_

The blade shot out and forward with speed far more significant than anything else I could have hope to do, the kind of speed that can only come from working on a single movement for hours a day, every day, for years. A blur of shining metal moving forward and up. I still remember vaguely that the chakra surrounding a Jinchūriki protecting them, but there is still one place on every living thing that defences are always thinner.

It really showed just how outclassed I was that even using my fastest attack, done in her moment of weakness, was still slow enough that she could snap out of her shock, turn her head to look at the attack and still jump back in time to keep my ō-wakizashi from stabbing into her brain through her left eye. Yet, I felt something like muted satisfaction as with the sensation of carving through stone, the tip of my blade bisected her whole eyeball right through the centre of the pupil, a squirt of blood and fluid following just after.

The girl shrieked in agony as she jumps back, the force of the sound popping my ears painfully and physically rocking me where I was standing. Still, I stopped myself from reacting, keeping my body language and emotions as loose and relaxed as possible with the discipline of sensing that my life depended on it.

Fū thrashed around on the ground for a moment, letting out the primal sound of a wounded beast, before backing up on all fours and jumping slightly into the air, hovering there with its wings moving too fast to see. The buzzing was back with a vengeance as I could see the beginnings of a third wing begin to take form as the chakra around her spiked. The one white, glowing eyes catching mine in a stare, glaring in wild rage.

I stared back calmly.

Behind the layers of blood and gunk around the injured eye I could see the red chakra gather, as if thick steam, and start to spread out of its, a blink later and the eye was once again moving in time with its twin, the two halves slowly mending back into a whole, everything I had done erased in a moment. Gathering itself up, the girl roars and flies at me at high speed.

I do not make a move.

The Jinchūriki stops and backs off again about half the distance of before and lands on the ground in a crouch, still growling at me, making little jerking motions as if to pounce on me to see how I react.

I don't react and just continued to stare at her as if nothing was wrong, even as I know that this was not going to work for much longer. What was happening right now was the same as making yourself look bigger by raising your arms and jacket in front of a bear. Not a solution or a strategy, just one last bluff.

And already I could see that the bluff was losing its effect, moment by moment I could see the wariness start to fade as the Jinchūriki pawed its way closer as every time it tested the water nothing happened to hurt it again. If I did not think of something soon, all I would have achieved would be a little bit more time Alive.

But the truth was that I had nothing, I was still stuck to the rock by her attack, injured to the point that of light-headedness and was starting to see dots, even my best possible shot did not do anything lasting. Unless a miracle…

Just as she was about to take her next step, Fu was hit in the side like a truck by a thin beam of twisting fire, water and bright lightning followed instantly by the boom of a high-powered impact. The transformed girl lifted from her feet, for once not under her own power, and with a scream of more rage then pain was carried by the tri-elements further into the woods, the sound of falling and tearing trees hinting at an impressive distance.

Staring at the spot where my imminent death used to be, for just a moment, I stood there not knowing how to react to the change of fortune. Then everything faded away in a weird smoky brown blur before snapping back into focus, and I found myself in the hold of powerful arms pressed against a blue combat vest, the smell of a bit too much aftershave bothering my nose. The rock and pond now a fair distance away and past three individuals in full Jounin uniform, two youngish men and a woman with their hands in front of them as if throwing something. All three of them shaking a little and breathing in large gulps of air in apparent exhaustion, _"Oh, those three finally got that combo working, good for them."_

Looking up to see the face of my rescuer, I did not expect to see the stubbly chin and glasses of Hiraoka-sensei, the kind but constantly nervous man that myself and the rest of the trainees know so well was completely absent, replaced by someone with eyes that were both hard and serene at the same time and lips pressed into a thin line.

"It's alright Shou-Kun, you're safe now," he said kindly, voice completely even but words at odds with what was happening. But that's what he is supposed to say at this part, you're supposed to comfort the distressed victim, I'm supposed to be distressed aren't I? if that was my role now, then I guess I should just stay quiet and let him do his part, "You did amazingly to survive, even saving someone by drawing her away…"

Something in my gut moved at that, the implication that I was drawing her away and not just running for myself, but I pushed it down just like everything else, "I couldn't be prouder as a teacher," despite what he was saying, look he had was a sad one, not a proud one.

Then there was the sound of a crash and a roar, and that look was replaced with the hard one again. "But its time for the adults to have their turn." Turning to look at where Fū had been thrown. he then snapped off an order as he held me out to the side, "Jounin Eguchi, the boy is seriously injured, take him to the hospital post haste." Surprised, I turned to look over and realised that Eguchi Yuina was in fact there. The young green haired Jounin and soon to be sensei of my first friend of this life was standing close by next to a bunch of other Jounin and Chunin. It seems that the growing dark spots at the edge of my vision had affected me more than I had realised if I could not even see things to my sides.

The Jounin in question raised one of her eyebrows in a forced blasé that was ruined by the tension in her body as she strolled over "Sure about that teacher-man?" She questioned with a hint of cheek even as she reached over and grabbed me and throw me none too gently under her arm, I let out a grunt of pain as the rough treatment moved my bad arm in a weird direction but otherwise stayed quiet, "We could get one of the Chunin to do it, not like any of them are going to be much use here anyway." She finishes with a thumb point at the group behind her.

"Because You're faster than any of them when you're not wasting time arguing an order," Hiraoka-sensei growls back angrily, the 'give me no more shit' stare that all educators seem to learn in full effect, "Besides..." he starts to say as he turns at the sound of buzzing to see the figure of Fū moving above the trees sporting two more wings, bring the number up to five, flying fast in our direction. Then he looked down and at one of his hands, opening and closing them without the usual shaking and twitching I had so long associated with the man, "I'm in the middle of a good spell… I'll wrap things up myself shortly." And with that ominous one-liner, the man walked towards the rampaging Jinchūriki by himself.

Sadly, I would not get to see what happened next as the world blurred again as Eguchi-sensei chose that moment to Body Flicker away, and suddenly everything went from explosions and death to a quiet running through well-lit grassy training fields. The world not even giving us the dignity of being thematically overcast, sounds of the battle only increasingly quieting noises in the far distance.

For about a minute nothing was said between the two of us, the sound of her feet hitting off the ground and the rush of air created from the speed we were moving at the only sound between us. Before suddenly the Jounin had a quick look around as if checking for something before markedly slowing down into a light jog even though she was ordered to make haste because of (to my quickly suppressed indignation) my terrible state.

"You know Kid," Eguchi-sensei started to say as she lifted me up from under her arm and held me in front of her, hands under my armpits like some people would hold their pet cat, giving me a friendly, teasing Chester cat smile. But there was a look in her eye that did not match her tone... Nothing threatening or malicious, but something that made me glad I was still clutching my short sword in a death grip. " I was at the front of the search party, saw a little bit more of that fight than the rest, and I gotta say, I'm hella impressed! didn't do shit in the end, but ya lived, so ya beat most people dealing with a mad Tailed-beast container." Then The Jounin slowed down even more, now moving only at the speed of a brisk walk, eyes still twitching here and there for eavesdroppers.

"Impressive, real impressive..." she trailed off before adopting a thinking look, a little knowing smirk playing on her lips as she side-eye me, "Still… there is one thing I got to ask you before we get to the hospital and the medics put you under..."

Her behaviour changed as her stare became serious, "How'd ya get her to stop like that? Jinchūriki ya see, they don't just stop like that, once they get going they just keep biting and scratching. Even Genjustu just bounces off their chakra," and I now figured out what it was that I saw in her eye; greed. "you need to tell me, cause it might help save people when I get back to the fight and tell everyone."

I was now pretty confident that if I did somehow stumble into a way to reliably control a raging Jinchūriki, Eguchi-sensei was not going to share shit until she found a way to use it for herself or whoever it was she was sucking-up too. And while I'm not quite getting the vibes that I would have 'died on the way' once I did tell her, I probably would be told to keep 'things to myself.'

Fucking politics.

"Well? Go on," she prompted, the blurry smile and her echoing tune still teasing, but a hit of impatience was there if you know where to look. "The longer you take, the more trouble teacher-man is going to have."

… Well, not like it really matters, 'She stopped attacking because I tricked her instincts with body language for a moment or two by a fluke' is not going to be the grand revelation that she was hoping to get or one worth 'silencing' me for. I can just tell her and get back to finding someone to, you know, stop the pain. Though to be fair I'm feeling drowsier than hurt at this point.

But when I opened my mouth to tell her the words seemed to get stuck in my throat. Trying again, I found that the words still seem to get stuck behind a gag reflex. Forcing it, I give one, then two pushes, then on the third I felt the words move with a burst. Triumphantly I open my mouth and...

"B#uc~h!" Vomited all over the front of her shirt, the pure, uncensored, look of shock on her face would have been the most comical thing I had seen in years if there was not the fact that what I just vomited up was mostly dark blood. As everything started to spin and fade to black, the last thing I heard was a quiet, "Oh right, Bijuu chakra poisoning, forgot about that…"


	14. Interlude 2

Interlude 2

Thanks to TotallyNotEvil, IvanDead, Crusader Jerome(SV) and more for editing help with this mess of a chapter.

* * *

A bird was singing by the open window, the beautiful chirps complementing the soft, mildly green tinted light of a Takigakure morning that was spilling in to fill the whole room in its glow. An idyllic scene right out of a storybook, but all I could think about as I rubbed my face deeper into the soft fabric the pillow was whether a splitting hangover was enough justification for throwing a kunai at the blasted thing.

With a pathetic groan, I idly kicked off my blanket and rolled over on to my back, not surprised to find that except for my sandals and flak jacket I could still feel the rough textures of yesterday's uniform, having not bothered to change before crawling into the sheets. Stretching and yawning I got up, back cracking and popping painfully with the beginnings of age and sent the dumb animal still in the window the stink-eye before slowly shuffling over to the washroom on the other side of the apartment, rubbing my temples in vain hope of release.

After relieving myself and taking a lukewarm shower, the plumbing in the whole village had been on the fritz since the 'incident' last week, I walked over to the sink and pulled out some painkiller from the medicines cabinet that was behind the mirror, swallowing them dry. Closing the mirror, I caught a glimpse of the sleepy-eyed and 5 o'clock shadowed face of Kono Keiki, Jounin of Takigakure, staring back at me.

"Ha-ha, sorry mate, but yours is not the first face I wanted to see this morning," I muttered at my reflection in half jest, But only half. To say that Ayaka-Chan has not been in the best of moods would be an understatement, and while it stung a little that she would rather be left alone right now then let me be there for her, I understood that people had their own ways of dealing with stress.

Walking out of the washroom in a towel, I let out a sigh at the sight of the one-person studio, a small, uncomfortable bed and wardrobe at one side, the empty kitchen at the other and table with cushions in the middle with my flak-jacket discarded on top of it next to an empty sake bottle. I hated this place, could not help but compare the empty, silent room with the Fujimori's home without feeling a desire that was far too complicated for my mood and ponding behind my eyes. Shaking my head, I walked over to the wardrobe to get changed; It was time to get ready.

A minute later and I was in a fresh, well-pressed uniform and had my long hair tied neatly, that beautiful woman had given up on getting me into the fancy stuff she liked, but she had put her foot down on tidying up if I wanted things to continue. Dressed, I made my way out the door into that crisp morning air that just slightly tingled your noise. A casual body-flicker from the walkway of my apartment block and I was on the roof of the next building over, from there it was easy to bounce from roof to roof towards my destination.

The trip was an old one, feet treading a well-worn path through the village's skyway, most days this would be a blessing, my mind free to relax and wander as my body brought me to my destination by autopilot.

However, today it was just a curse, my eyes roaming over one small tragedy after another. Just ahead was a house with a broken wall and large hole in the roof. The way the red tiles were smashed rather than ripped up and how the frame of the roof was sinking in indicated that it was the entry point, the way that the dark wood around what was the wall was twisted outwards as if something on the inside burst out supported that. I could see it in my mind's eye, the Fū-girl being thrown by some attack through the roof and then charging out of the wall in retaliation right after. That was good, as long as the Jinchūriki did not land on whoever lived there, they should have been fine.

The next building as not so lucky, it was now just a pile of wood and beams poking out of the foundation, the black stains and left-over ash telling its own story, for just a moment I thought I could smell the smoke. It was the same as far as could be seen, not total destruction; the girl was not that far gone in the transformation before she was pushed out of the village proper. However, every twelfth house, street or wall was in some way damaged in almost a tenth of the village, from up high it looked like someone took a small knife to a painting and stabbed small, jagged holes into one corner.  
 _  
"All told, the last time was far worse",_ callous way to look at it, but these little bumps of mayhem and death where just the price a village had to pay to raise and train a Jinchūriki. Hell, compared to the last one, eleven years and only one break, under what the report implied were a stressful situation for anyone, it might be a record. Moreover, most of it was just property damage with only a handful of deaths.

 _"Though at the same time the long stretch of peace meant many people were not prepared"_ I throught. Spying a young Genin shovelling debris into a long pile by the road, the poor girl still had a look of shock on her dust-covered face, the first time in her memory that the idea of Takigakures invincibility had been cracked, even from within.

Even those who had lived through similar event had been shaken, like old Yuichi-san, who was picking up glass around her garden, looked forlorn, once more experiencing something she was just about to forget.

It was a kick in the nuts; The Fū-girl had just about to be the first Jinchūriki to, possibly, maybe be accepted by the greater village, she had made inroads with those too young to understand just how dangerous she could be. And even the older generations were relaxing, her sunny personality and apparent stability winning over even some of most wary… wasted now, it will become a case of once bitten twice shy, especially for those that she had hurt.

 _"Talking about those hurt,"_ I thought with a frown, " _how the boy is going to deal with this is going to be something,"_ at least, when he wakes up it will be, which the fearful medic said to the-very-scary-when-she-wants-to-be Ayaka-Chan should be in the next day or two... Wasn't that something? That a barely genin was not only going to wake up from a beating from a demon-container but should still be able to continue his career. It was a huge relief, and not just because if she had killed little Shou, the girl would have gone off again.

I liked the kid, though they had never really bonded the way that would have made everything easier. He was still a good student and, well, Ayaka-Chan loved him, and that is good enough for me.

Some people would be surprised that an idiot like me could have kept the interest of the polite but distant and often cool Chunin, but after all these years I got to see a side of her that no-one else had. And while some people might have had a problem with the details of her type of missions, the way I saw it every ninja was a killer for cash at one point or the other, and you can't get much worse than that. I would never regret those first few clumsy attempts of mine to get her eye.

" _But enough musing,"_ I thought to myself as I landed at one of the large, squire building in the centre of the village without a sound, only thing making it different from its brothers was a plaque by the front door reading 'Higher management building B' or as it was more well known as 'the Jounin office', _"time to work for my food."_

* * *

Ok, 'working for my food' was a bit too strong. 'Doing some leftover paperwork, passing any mission scrolls to someone else and then reading a novel till mid-day' might have been more accurate... However, if the old man and woman in charge were going to let the Jounin who were taking on students lighten their workload, they should have expected me to take full advantage of it, it was their fault, not mine.

 _"Speaking of teams,"_ I thought as I shambled out of my office and into the break room in search of coffee, a scowl planting itself on my face, _"there's that meeting later today to finalise things… great."_ More like 'Re-finalise' things, last week's events had meant that all the carefully traded and bartered teams had needed to be shuffled around again, Jounin shamelessly grabbing the more promising students of Jounin who were dropping out this year from injury or mourning and throwing less promising students away like garbage. Or, and here I felt a ping of pain, anger and frustration at the thought, there was myself at the other side of the coin, the Jounin whom everyone knows had to scramble to rebuild his team because of events out of his control. The Jounin who just yesterday had been seen walking out of a private booth crestfallen and beaten. Having had his arm twisted by some other Jounin for a replacement for his fallen student, though I'd bet good money that many of those Jounin who were pitying me even while they were plotting were going to be surprised to find out that there were more changes than what was assumed.

* * *

The room was one of the bigger ones in the building, with a large Octagonal table with chairs in the middle and blackboards on the walls to one side. During the last war it was used regularly to talk strategy, but recently had only been used sparingly, the bickering Jounin of the village rarely needing a space that could hold all of them. However, today all Jounin who could make it shuffled into their seats.

 _"Most of these assholes aren't even taking students,"_ I thought, taking my seat, giving some of the Jounin I actually got along with a nod or two, _"just coming to look at how the battle lines are going to change."_

After a few minutes of fussing about and whispering, someone in the middle of the table let out a loud cough and stood up. The young man, who would only be hitting his twenties in two months, looked around the room with his ink black eyes with ill-concealed nervousness. His long, dark brown hair Was held back by his forehead protector symbolising the shinobi status he would be unlikely be ever make use of, He had foregone his vest and uniform and instead was in simple if but finely made sea-green shirt and grey pants.

With one more cough to clear his throat, Shibuki-sama began to address the group of individuals who were paradoxically his superiors as ninjas and yet his inferiors as members of the village. "This meeting has been called to formally confirm and register the next batch of Genin teams," here he did his best to stare everyone down as he continued. It was an admirable attempt at authority, but he had shown his greenness the moment that he agreed to come here for this meeting instead of ordering it to be moved to the head's hall at his convenience. "Those of you have chosen to take on students this year are also taking on the future of the village into your hands, as the villages strongest, the passing on of that strength is the most important task you will ever take… ," here the young man took a moment to collect himself before finishing with white knuckles clenching the forms in his hand, "It is especially critical to show the people our growing strength in times like these." Oh yes, I thought, in times like these we all had to show that everything is fine, especially when 'these times' were the fault of the young, unreliable-seeming village head's ward" 'Hi everyone, let's look at these brand new genin! Ignore the deaths that are sort of my responsibility…

Part of me did feel pity for her, the amount of time she spent with my lover's son/sometimes student meant that I had interacted with her quite a few times over the years, and her banter with the boy was always amusing. I was sure that the guilt was going to eat at her for the rest of her life. However, that pity was blunted, Shiro-san was a drinking buddy from the war days, Kei-Chan once a daughter of a distant friend. I could name most of the victims and at least recognised the faces of the rest. It confused things, all I could say about it was that I felt that in many ways it was not the girl's fault, and in a lot of other ways, it was all her responsibility.

"If you have any doubts," the boy-leader was finishing up the useless part of the speech, "this is the last time you will be able to back out." Looking around, Shibuki-sama nodded to himself when no one moved.

"Very well… Will Jounin Kiyota-san, please step forward,"

A man in full uniform and a mask stood and spoke loudly, "I, Jounin Kiyota Motoichi will be taking genin Ehara Ieyoshi, Kozue Sukeyasu and Tani Ao as my students," then he sat down. I always found it hilarious how anticlimactic this part was, everything necessary was done behind closed-doors months ago, this was just dull pleasantries for the old people.

Another two Jounin from the Taira faction stood up and declared their choice of students. Then it was my turn, I sluggishly stood and turned to face the young village head and hesitated, a slimy feeling worming itself in my stomach now that I had got to this point before I pushed on, the deal was struck, I would just have to deal with what happened next.

"I, Jounin Kono Keiki, will be taking genin Makioka Saori, Takeshita Tetsuo… and Taira Taura as my students." I said with a blank as a face as possible and ignoring the sudden bout of whispering from the Jounin that known why my choice of last student was strange. Shibuki-sama blinked at the last name, looking down at his list before glancing over to the other side of the room to the one that by general understanding and quite a lot of politicking, was the one was supposed to be the girl's sensei.

Eguchi Yuina sat there in her spot, arms crossed and glaring at me with a look of murder in her eyes, before giving the young leader a shallow nod. Impressive acting, considering this trade was her idea.

It worried me. The trade did not make sense; The woman said that It was just that the boy had impressed her with his conduct during the incident and wanted to take a chance on his future, and that does pan-out with her rumoured history of risk-taking. But it just doesn't sit right.

What little Shou did against the Jinchūriki was impressive, no denying that, and it filled me with pride to think it was my on again off again training that played a part in his survival. However, everyone that saw the extent of his injuries knows that it was impressively lucky more than anything, a fluke achievement that if there were a repeat, he would not be pulling it off again. Taking a gamble on the future of a genin who showed he might have a bit more promise than expected over the easy _in_ with one of the noble clans didn't seem smart… from where I was sitting.

Add on that she wanted me to make it look like I was the one twisting her arm as part of the deal, her excuse being that she didn't want the Taura to think she was snubbing them, and I was sure that the other side known something I didn't.

However, it didn't matter if she was trying to play me, what she was offering was too good to pass up — her and her allies to add their endorsement for my push to have my family to be recognised as a clan in the next major meeting.

I was the first waterfall ninja of my family, my mother a Chunin who ran from mist during the height of its bullshit, who came to Waterfall with nothing but the clothes on her back and a scroll with something just useful enough to let her in. However, just because Waterfall is open to refugees doesn't mean its kind to them.

She found herself safe only to become a second-class citizen, unable to leave for security reasons; she had to scrape by with the lowest rank, lowest pay jobs around the village. Even marrying one of the clanless ninjas and having a child did little to raise the people's views of her or get rid of the suspicions that the whole village had for outsiders. And what was gained was thrown away when that husband died in duty. Even those who were in the same boat at the bottom kept their distance from the child-rearing widow in case they were asked for help they could not give.

My rise to Jounin had helped, allowing me to give her wealth, protection and comfort… But the respect, the acceptance, was only for me, the real, born and raised Taki-nin. If something were to happen to me now, she would be left alone in a place that did not care for her, too old to work the way she would need to put food on the table.

If I could get her name, the name Kono, to the name of a real clan of the village and the privileges that came with it, then I could give her back the pride she had to abandon all those years ago. Moreover, at the risk of being selfish… I could have a name that would be worth being married to.

Not yet, Ayaka-chan would not even think to hear about it, would make things far to complicated at this point, powerful men don't like their 'confidants' getting married while they still work for them even if their wife would be happy to get rid of her… however, in the future, when little Shou becomes the clan head, and they both become a little too old to be taking mission regularly… when she got relieved from her 'duty' with that individual… it's something that I could bring up? The idea that I could wake up beside her in their bed, in their house, maybe woken up by _their_ child running into the room in the morning… Was a man not allowed to dream?

I blinked and shook the cobwebs out of my mind and returned to the present, once more back in the packed room. The young head of the village still waiting for any sign from the other Jounin that she had a problem with my picks, but after a moment of no response Shibuki-sama just shrugged his shoulders and wrote it down on the forums in his hands. Keiki could practically hear the _'weird, but it's only Genin trading.'_ That went through the young man's mind.

After finishing what he was writing Shibuki-sama turned away from myself and I sat down, looking at Eguchi-san and holding a little smirk at the woman for the peanut gallery but inside sighed in exhaustion. The first part was over, now I just had to figure out how to explain to Ayaka-Chan why I traded away her son… I could really use that bottle of sake that was left in the apartment right now.

Almost idly, I looked over to see Eguchi-san stand up to take her turn, the young woman standing tall and proud even as she kept that fake glare up, and spoke loudly, "I, Jounin Eguchi Yuina, will be taking genin Nijimura Josuke, Hōjō Misumi and Fujimori Shou as my students." At the last name, she turned an eye to glance at me, and it was only because I knew to look for it that I saw the satisfaction hidden in it.

* * *

I… am not that happy with this chapter:

1\. A big problem with Si's is that you start to forget how to do 'voice' when writing.

2\. I tried to do first person for this chapter, but that created an editing nightmare, what have I learned: don't write your first draft in third person and then change it to first person in the last draft. pick one before you write and stick with it.

3\. I may have tried to stuff it full of too many ideas and concepts.

But at the same time, I just don't want to just sit on this for months and months again. So, I'm just going to post it and move on.


	15. Interlude 3

Sorry for the Hiatus, Life was just in the way.

Don't own Naruto etc, etc.

edits: IvanDead

* * *

It was as I walked around the corner, bag full of today's paperwork tucked under my remaining arm as I trotted smartly to my office, that I saw the young man sitting on that bench on the other side of the road from the main entrance to the dormitories. The one that other caretakers would eat their lunches at if they wanted a moment of peace from the children. (I knew this as I could see them do so through my window, not that it was aggravating that they never invite me even though I did more of the work then the lot of them.)

Strange, as far as I know, the young man had not made it a habit of loitering around this area since his hag of a mother had taken him back from my care as far as I was aware. I would have usually ignored him and just walked past, there was far too much to do to stop and chit-chat when there was only a short window of time to get everything ready before all the children were up. But as I passed, I saw that old look in his eye as he stared blindly that the gate in thought.

I groaned inwardly, knowing that every second lost in the morning was a minute lost in the evening. But I still stamped my way over to the boy none-the-less, just because they left my care didn't mean that they stopped being my responsibility. "that would be making it easier on myself" I grumbled in my head, "can't have that, can we."

 _"He looks quite the mess,"_ I thought as I got near, the sound of my steps seemed to have been enough to snap him back to the present as when he turned towards me that look was no longer in his soft brown eye. Instead, a small, gentle little smile playing at his lips as greeted me with a chirp.

"Oh, hello Sawada-sensei, it's great to see you, have you been well." He exclaimed happily as he sat up into a straighter posture, brushing the wrinkles out of his shirt unconsciously. Great, he was inheriting the Hag's vanity.

"You look a mess child," I told him bluntly, the happy smile and tone of voice didn't do much to hide his sunken in cheeks or his paleness. And the fancy kimono shirt was not going to hide the big cast and sling hinging his arm from his neck, especially when it hung on him just a little too big, "If you're still sick you should be in bed, not hanging around the village like a delinquent."

"Haha," he gives a little laugh as he lends back, the wooden bench cricking as he does so. That smile not moving an inch even as he pokes at a sunken cheek to show that he knew what I was talking about, "I'm fine sensei, the charka poisoning and the healing afterwards just wasted away some stuff, lots of chicken and rice for the next few months and it will be like nothing happened." He did look generally happy at the idea of extra food, so it was probably not a lie, the little glutton.

"Hum," I hummed little, "Good… and the arm?" I asked, a phantom tingle from where my own missing limb used to be going off like always when the topic of limb injuries came up. Everyone had heard the story, and young children just don't come back from a demon attack in one piece.

He rolled his shoulder with a slight wince, but otherwise just shrugged the question off with the other one, "Fine… the medics said it will be more prone to subluxations and dislocations from now on, but if that's it, then I'm not going to look this horse in the mouth." He flashes me a relieved grin, his body relaxed naturally as he swings one of his feet absentmindedly. As expected from that woman's son, his poker face is a mile better than most Genin, if I had not already seen his face when thought he was alone it would have got me.

We stood there in silence as time inched by us, the boy seemed happy to leave things at that, waiting respectfully for me to say anything else, but not offering up anything himself. The polite way to tell others to leave me alone.

"I saw you looking at the gate lost in thought," I tried. If you can't get someone to spill subtly then just brute force it. "is there something you needed?" I offered even as I kept up the stern stare, "I have time to talk in my office if you need it," I didn't, I never did, never will, but I always made time anyway.

The little smile was still on his face, but he didn't just answer right away this time. Instead, he turned to look at the gate once more, mulling it over.

"I…" he started, a hesitant undercurrent to his otherwise bland tone, "When I was walking around the village I realized that I didn't know if this place was ok, so I walked over to have a look, but when I get here I realised that I hadn't seen this gate for years now… just… never had I reason to go down this road."

"I see", I said flatly while tapping my foot, the unsaid 'got to the point' left hanging.

"Just before I left, I promised some of the other kids that I was close to, Gaku, Hiroya and Airi that I would keep on visiting them when I moved out. But after a while, I just stopped. And not that much later I stopped even talking to them all that often… and they could have died for all I knew," here he gave me a questioning look, and when I shook my head in negative, some tension in his shoulders dropped, "I guess I just felt guilty at just… forgetting." His eyes once again zone out as he dives deep into his thoughts.

"Don't be stupid boy," I drag him back with my harsh reply, his eyes snapping to me, "None of them complained or got upset when you stopped coming, you all grow apart over time like children often do." I looked him straight in the eye, someone better at this may have been able to say the next part better than me, more gently or with more understanding.

But I could only do things in the way I know how, "I know you had a near-death experience, but don't go looking for meaning in places where there is none just to find things to beat yourself up with."

He blinked up at me stunned silence, before bursting into a silent, breathless laugh, the tense aura around him lifting a little more. "That's not it," he tells me after a moment. before tilting his head in thought before continuing, "Well not completely, Fū is involved, but at the same time it has nothing to do with her," he stops suddenly and scratches the back of his head sheepishly and grins, "Sorry, I shouldn't be bothering you with this, don't know why I said that."

I sighed and motioned him to scoot over with my one remaining arm, the bag in my fist flapping about as I do so, sitting down I suppressed the jolt of surprise at the cold seeping up my tights from the wood. "It's because you want to talk about it, really boy, when did you get so cagey, you never had a problem talking back when I was teaching you your letters, half of your cracks with the ruler was from trying to chat rather than work."

The boy looks at me with those brown eyes and unmoving smile, searching for something, before he turned back to look at the gate.

"When I first started hanging out with Fū, I made a promise, just like I did with my old friends." he said, "a promise to only keep at it as long as it was safe. To not get involved more than was smart."

"To your mother?" I asked.

"To myself," he admitted. "and if nothing else I am honest with myself. Being around Fū is not safe anymore, I'm scared on what is going to happen next and don't know how to deal with the headaches the future will bring, everything in me is saying 'this is the time to wash my hands of her'." He turns away from me to look at the gate again, "I guess I came here to remind myself to keep my promises." He finishes.

What a baffled and confused way of thinking, a half-hearted attempt to make sense of a pure gut emotion, but if dealing with small children every day had taught me anything, it was how to make sense of nonsense. And If I got it right, the reason he wanted to prove that he could keep one promise...

"Because you want to break your promise to yourself, even if you think it's stupid."

He didn't flinch or show surprise, but that smile finally turned into a frown for the first time in the whole exchange. I waited for him to say something more, but I was meet with just silence, the boy having clammed up.

Getting up from the bench and picking up my bag I took a few steps away before stopping to give him my last two yen, "I don't know what exactly it is that's bothering you, but it seems that you're stubbornly holding onto something that you decided on and now are all upset that you might have changed your mind." I said before giving an annoyed huff, "But that's just part of growing up, you changed your mind about things, what was important to you in the past and what is important now can be completely different things. The only difference is that as you get older you have to start following through with things, but everyone is allowed to change their mind once or twice in their lives."

"… I guess you have a suggestion too then?" the way he said 'too' was strange, almost between bored and exasperated, but I pushed on.

"… my suggestion is to forget about the before and take this as a chance to rethink the now. If, after weighing everything you still can't forgive or forget what happened, that's understandable, but if you decided that your friendship with the young girl has become more important to you then all your old plans… I can't say that is wrong either."

"Lots of people would disagree" he piped up quietly and looked me dead in the eye, "I don't think Rokuro would be happy if I chose to stick by his murderer, or all those who miss him or anyone else she had hurt, they hate her, and will hate me if they see me by her, "he absentmindedly tugged on his sleeve to straighten out a wrinkle as his eyes wandered down to the ground, " and that would be completely fair, just because she didn't want to didn't mean she didn't do it. Just because one choice can be seen as cowardly doesn't make the other is right or noble by default, she _is_ the monster in their story."

"And she is the victim in her own," I throw his own words back at him, "But that's not the question, it's what is she in _your_ story."

And with that I turned around and walked away, leaving him to stew over things on his own again. Not because it was dramatic for some other ridiculous thing, I just had nothing more to say and was already late as it was.

I do hope he figures things out, but time is sparse, he'll just have to make up his mind on his own now.

 _"Now, time to check on how breakfast is going",_ if I'm lucky none of the children had started to throw their food while not under supervision.

As expected, I was not lucky.


	16. Interlude 4, end of Training arc

Edited by IvanDead and Dark as Silver

* * *

 _...buzz…buzz…buzz…_

Rolling over on to my back I woke to the sound of the alarm, eyes open as a smile stretches across my face, letting that wonderful feeling of a good night's sleep and an exciting day ahead wash over me. I was what Shou called a 'disgusting morning person', I could never figure out what exactly it was that made it disgusting, he was one too! But It was probably just him being silly aga…  
 _  
The distant sound of arms being ripped from bodies, the dull feel of being slammed into a wall, the vivid texture of bones snapping between IT's teeth._

The smile fell off my face as the blast of murky memories rushed back to me. A painful sob of horror got caught in my throat and became shallow gags as my stomach twists.

I scrambled out of bed but didn't make it to the door or window. Instead, I throw up right there on the floor on my hands and knees by the bed. It should have had the taste of last night's curry, but all I could taste was raw meat and warm blood.

It always tasted like raw meat and warm blood.

Shakily I stood back up, suddenly tired in a way that was more about my head than my body, now I just wanted to go back to bed and stay there forever and just forget about everything. Maybe Shou was on to something when he said mornings are disgusting.

Instead, I got to fixing up the mess, it was something I had been getting good at lately and went to my closet to change out of my pyjamas. My shorts and T-shirts I used to wear left in there shelve to be replaced with long pants and one of Shibuki-sama's old baggy hoodies that went to my knees and covered my face when I put the hood up, it was easier to hid when no-one could see my face.  
 _  
...A man, holding a trembling kunai as my hand/claw slash at his face, I tried to pull back, the claw/hand twitched back a bit, he dodges; the next woman didn't…._

Before leaving the room, I stop and take a deep breath, giving my checks little slaps before forcing a smile, the stinging helping me focus, and throw open the door with a bang and a loud, "Gooood morning Shibuki-Sama!"

And across the main hall, (all the rooms in the main house connected to the big room in the centre, I was told why once but was not really listening. something to do with defence or mobility or whatever.) there, in front of his public desk sat Shibuki-sama. The always present pile of paperwork, except the one time I throw it outside the window, right there with him. The moment he heard me he turned around, and let out a sleepy, "morin" of his own.

Since that night he has been looking as bad as I have been feeling, face pale and black rings circling his eyes from the late nights and overwork, he looks like I should have looked, like I felt I deserved to look, if that stupid bug didn't keep me all 'spick an' span'.

"It's good to see you up and about" he says while letting out a little yawn, "but I am afraid that the Cook is having a day off, so it's going to be take-out for us today," he forced a smile on his face before glancing at the paperwork and pouting, "just… wait a bit for me, and we can go together."  
 _  
A burst of fire in my/Its face, forcing myself/IT to slam someone through a wall instead of pulling them in-two, biting another's fingers off as the swell of blood filled my mouth with red copper._

Just the idea of something to eat right now was making my stomach do weird things, "Noooo" I cry out in fake pain, and dramatically fell do my knees "you always take forever, I'll die if I wait for you, you don't want me to die? Do you Shibuki-Sama?" hitting him with my best puppy eyes as I look up at him.

"Humm… fine". He says after a moment, shooting me an exasperated look to cover the amusement, "Go without me, see if I care." He shoo's me away, using his free hand to, well… shoo me away.

"Thanks!" I reply, skipping my way to the door. Humming a tune from the last Princess Fūun movie as I go.

"One moment Fū." He voices quietly before I had finished pulling the door aside.

I stop and turn around to face him as he slowly gets up in that way that he does when trying to hide that his legs were asleep and made his way over to me. Bending down so that his almost black eyes were level with mine and places his hands softly on my shoulders, a very, very sad smile on his face. (why could smiles be sad? That just seemed wrong.) "I know things are bad right now, and it can look like it will never get better, but that's not true. As long as you try, there is hope. If you hold on to those that surround you and try your best to do what's right by them, there is always hope that someday they will hold onto you too… no matter what mistakes you may have made."

 _A Scream, a thud, a body that stopped moving as others run to take its place._

I could only turn my head and look down at the floor. But instead of getting mad at my response, he just pulls me in closer to him, slender but strong arms wrapping around me and holding tight.

Shibuki-sama has very warm hugs.

Closing the door behind me after wiggling my way out his grip, I headed over to the outskirts of the village with my hood up to hide my face and hair. Skipping breakfast to wander around the high stone cliffs that tower over the village and protect us from the world. (lying to Shibuki-sama was fine, it was not like anyone would want me/a monster to eat their food anyway.) No one will be at the walls at this time of the morning except those who have to, and they won't have the time to spend glaring at me.

This was how I figured out how to get around the village to the training fields and open spaces without having to walk near too many people, Genius! (now if only I had somewhere to go.) Still, walking was better than thinking, so I just let my feet take me where they want.

There is this invisible line between the village and the cliffs, where despite the village never having enough room, we don't build pass the line, damage from falling rocks or defence space or something, something. But what it meant is that there was neat little grassy space to walk around the village where lots of wildflowers and weeds (what is the difference between weeds and flowers? They can both be pretty!) grow, it was a nice place to look around and not see any of the bad, broken things farther in. All too soon though I ran into the fence for one of the more dangerous training grounds and I am forced to move back into the village, luckily it was the side with all the big building instead of the houses, so I did not see people yet, I just had to ignore the rubble.

 _A blade, crackling with lighting on a chain wrapped around me, I/IT was thrown through a roof, I nudged the monsters/my attention away from the huddling family and crash through the wall back to the grinning woman and others. Those who can fight are better than those who can't._

It's weird. But just moving around and taking in the sights in is helping my mood a ton, laying in the hospital and just thinking had hurt, and sitting at home is not much better, but the sound of my feet on the path and the air and buzz of little things allow me to just be me. (and not the monster.)

But this tiny bit of peace ends the moment I realise just where it was that my feet have been taking me when I was not thinking. (Why did my feet have to be stupid?)

The little park is untouched. The weirdly big root sitting there like it always did. (did that piece of wood know what's happening around it? The elders say that the Tree was wise and knowing, and the root was part of the Tree, so maybe it did… I wonder if it was mad at me too?) The bench and the bit of green for flowers were fine, the grass is a bit longer, so whoever it was that looks after it had not been around for a bit. Probably busy with… other parts of the village, ya, that's it, busy.

But that was not what I was looking at, no, what I'm looking is by the lone punching post, a boy sitting there with his back up against the post reading a book while taking notes in a journal.

 _Landing with a thud on something soft and gooey, a crunch between my teeth and more copper on my tongue, staring at a boy (Shou!) I/IT gets ready to pounce, but I hold it back, the boy runs, I hold it for a moment more, then IT chases._

 _'Thin',_ I thought as I look him over, _"his cheeks are thin"_ , like, not like his mom's cheeks that make her prettier but in a bad way, like he is sick, he always looked older cause of the look in his eye but also because he looked sturdy, but now he looks like a breeze will knock him down. And no matter how hard I try, or how much it hurts to look at my eyes still wander to the sling holding his arm.

 _The boy bounced from tree to tree frantically, dodging the first pounce by luck, but next one catches him in mid-air as IT's claw swipes him in-half (NO)… my hand brushes him in the arm, he's thrown aside like a ragged doll._

He perks up as his soft brown eyes meet mine from over the top of the book, that little smile that was always plastered onto his face but never meant anything still hanging there. For a second, he just stares, then looks away as if I am not there and went back to his reading.

Without missing a beat, I move over to sit down next to him, taking a moment to think about what I want to bother or tease him with today as I open my mouth to…

 _A pulling, tearing pressure on my back and I'm/IT was in the air, IT could see the boy hiding behind the rock (NOnonono…), a wrenching, sticky spit and the boy was stuck._

… shut it with a click, folding into myself as I look away from him and at the ground, silent.

For the next hour, we both sit there, me still and watching, wanting to speak, to ask, to poke, to laugh, but unable to, not allowing myself too.

In comparison, Shou is unruffled and calm as he always tries to look, sitting there in his fancy, to-neat-for-a-boy clothes as he flips through one of those books on Genjustu that he had been working on, everything about him looking tranquil and relaxed.

Which is a bad sigh, Shou's a smug jerk when he wasn't a grumpy pants, he only looks peaceful when he is not. But I have no way to tell what he is thinking.

A lot of the time it is impossible to know what he is thinking. People always say that I'm weird, but it's Shou whose head works strange, different. It's just he is quiet about it, so most people don't know.

With an annoyed sigh, he shuts the book with a snap and looks over to me. A raised eyebrow and a pull of the lip down to show me just how annoyed he is, one of his hands straightening up the collar of his shirt to fix non-existent wrinkles, "you're doing it wrong."

"… huh?" I had expected a lot of things, him continuing to ignore me, yelling at me to leave, him getting up and moving away himself, and, a small part of me hoped, even saying that he forgave her (like anyone could forgive a monster), this…

"Oh, come on, we do this Act all the time," he rolls his eyes at me, "The way this is supposed to go is that I start training or studying and then you turn up to annoy me. And then I ignore you, but you keep at it until I relent, showing the power of perseverance or something like that, that's how this little play is supposed to go, it doesn't work if you just sit there."

"Shou, I, how, everything…" this I what I meant when I said he is the weird one!

"This brooding thing, it's boring," he says with a flat tone as he looks back to his book, "I only deal with your bullshit because for some reason I find your character interesting. This new 'woe is me' thing is no good, there is already way too many of those characters in this world."

"I…I don't understand Shou." I finally let out, confusion rolling around in my head, I think this is better than him yelling at me, but I could not figure out what this is, exactly.

He stops his reading and thinks for a moment, face as blank as I had ever seen it as he taps the side of the book against his knee.

"I…," he huffs and starts again, "I know this would happen," he says before correcting himself, "Not this, so to speak," he made a gesture around him as if trying to point at everything in the world, "but I know that one day if I stayed around you something would happen that would be a bit too dangerous, the plan was to just walk away when it happened."

"T-That's fair, I guess." I could feel the tears began to well up at his admission, that he was never planning to stay my friend, but I kept it in, staying with a monster like me for so long was already a lot more then I should have had.

"You know Shibuki-sama was the first person after my mom to visit me when I woke up. Begged me to still give you a chance. Literally, on his knees, bowing and everything, it was disconcerting, having the Head do something like that, and scary, that's my hide tanned if the wrong type finds out about it." He makes a funny face at that, like he bit into something bad.

Despite everything I felt a giggle escape at the image, I could see it, Shou looking like he was slapped in the face as the head of the village did something so un-leader, _"Shibuki-sama really is the best."_

"I didn't say no." he went on as he got up from his spot and began to pace, "because you don't in that situation. But he took that as a yes and then went on about how great a thing I was doing and the spirit of the village and crap that can be summed up as 'the power of friendship'." he even stops to do the finger-quotes thing here, "It was annoying. and he wasn't the only one, quite a few people would keep on giving me advice, about how it was not wrong if I want to not abandon you or how 'noble' I would be if I stick with you."

He is ranting, sometimes he would do that, all those weird thoughts of his that he keeps hidden spilling out in one go, but this is scary, his face stayed the same, but the look in his eye had gotten scary.

"It pissed me off, them fostering their storybook notions on me."

"..." What could I say? That he should, that would be great for me, but all I could do is hunch down more and let him vent. After all the things I had done to him that day, I could at least do that.

 _IT slowly prowled up to the trapped boy, I pull and nudged and struggled, but IT kept moving closer._

"Then there was the other side, who keep on telling me to wash my hands of you. Mom was just being practical about my safety, stay away from her by the way, she's cool-headed enough not to kill you or do anything that would get her in trouble, but she is persistent and petty enough to fuck with you in little ways for years; Anyways, there have been plenty of people telling me that it's ok to be scared and that there is no shame in running away."

".. That's..." I mutter out, head still facing down as tears and some snot flow out, "probably smart, I'm a monster." It both hurt and was relieving to say that aloud, it made the next part easier, "I'm a monster, and you will just get hurt staying with me." I looked up despite the tears running done my face I give him my best smile, "T-Thank you for being my friend until now, it was fun. S-See you around." And though it hurt more than even everything else, I turn to walk away from this little park and all the good and warm memories for the last time, and don't look back.

Well never looking back was the plan until I heard the soft sound of a hand smacking a face and a loudly moaned "Could you have used a more melodramatic cliché?"

I could do nothing but look at him in shock, not really believing what he had just said, "Huh?" What was with him today?

"Oh, come on!" He rolls his eyes at me as he stood there, "That's one of the most basic scenes there is." he puts his hands in his pockets as he nonchalantly walks up to me. "And this would be the part where I'm supposed to run after you and yell out something about how I'll never let you walk away and that I'll never leave you or something. Some shit that would be seen as foreshadowing romances in later parts of the story. "he scrunches up his face in an expression of absolute disgust at that, "Yaaaa... No, not a chance. You're a kid, and you're always going to be a brat to me, sorry."

For the first time today everything I had been feeling before was replaced with anger, real anger. "That not funny Shou," I stamp my foot and glare at him and without even thinking about it punch him in his good shoulder, "this isn't some story! It's all real and serious, and it's not far, and _it's not funny_ …"

"Oh, I agree," he says with a grim frown, ignoring the punch as his hand moves from his pocket to the hilt of his sword, taping it absent-mindedly, " this whole thing is like fate itself is pulling us around on strings to play out a badly writing scene for its own amusement. And I really am not happy about it."

 _"Is… is he actually crazy?"_ I thought gobsmacked. Does he actually believe that they were in a story?

"And I was ok with it you know," and he is off again before letting me catch up, "Letting fate or destiny or whatever play out as it should. And I still would have been ok with it as long as the only way I could get involved would be if I made a choice to stick my foot in it." The hand moves from the hilt of the sword to his temples, his thumb and index pinching to relieve some pressure, "But now things have come to me, I literally did nothing, yet here I am, having to make a choice between keeping the path and changing it… and it doesn't feel like I'm being given a choice at all, I'm not a protagonist, I'm a dog getting their chain yanked for the worlds amusement."

"So, I thought about it, and thought about it, and _thought about it_ , and suddenly I realised what to do, how to avoid following the script that has been laid out for me. If I'm supposed to make a choice." He spun around to look at me, a gentle look in his eyes and that same little smile that means nothing boring into me and through me, "I'll just make you do it."

"…What?" So this is what Josuke described as mental whiplash, I need to say sorry to him.

"I'll make you do it," he says again, "tell me what you want, and I'll do it or help you get it. We don't think the same, so any scenario set up for me should go right off the rails if you are the one to choose. And even if it is still what was 'supposed' to be picked, there will be at least a level of self-determination this way." He steps even closer, leaning down so that we were at eye level and grins a meaningless grin, "So what's it going to be?, For us to go separate ways here, taking over the village, to travelling the world to steal every pair of sandals ever made, I'll do it, or at least try and fail. It's a onetime offer for anything and everything."

"I… I already said goodbye…" Why would he do this? Why try to get my hopes up, offering me everything only after I accepted that I shouldn't have anything. I know he can be mean, but this is just cruel.

"Ptss, that doesn't count," he waves it away, "you were doing what you thought was the right thing to do, I'm not asking you want you think is right, or what should be done, I want to know _what is it that you want."_

"I want..." _to be left alone_ , "I want... _"to protect everyone from myself_ ", "I…", _don't want to feel this pain anymore._

...I don't want to be alone again." I whisper guiltily. Staring down at hands that were going white from clenching my shirt. "I don't want people to hate me," my voice rises against my will as tears fall freely, "I want people to stop telling me to go away or die," finally something in my chest busts out "I just want to be surrounded by friends and family and just be allowed to be happy." I look at him through tear-stained eyes and whisper. "I want to be happy."

At this he just leans back a little and studies me with a blank face before giving the faintest of nods "Ok then." he walks over to the spot and picks up his books, closing them with a snap, "So… Breakfast? I'm thinking Cao Lau Noodles."

I see red, my fist hitting him square in the stomach again and again, but the bigger boy barely grunts from the blows, without chakra my hands are just too small. "That's it? I hurt you Shou!" a hit, "I hurt everyone," another, "I killed people, I killed Rokuro" I yell at him. Glaring with hot tears down my cheeks "Don't you care?"

"Hmmm… no, not really" he says after of moment of thinking. "Well, a little... Ok, a lot, but not enough to back down. So seriously, Noodles? I'm hungry."

 _IT's teeth inches away from biting down when IT sees the boy's eyes, nothing, no anger or fear or pain or love or anything. The eyes of the dead. IT freaks out and loses control and I take hold, pulling back as hard as I can. A flash and_ _ **pain**_ _. And the next thing I see is the white of the hospital room._

"... Are you really ok staying friends with me? Even though I'm a monster." The anger is gone; instead, I'm now just tired of everything, except it is different from what I felt this morning, somehow.

"Hah," he gave a little amused huff, "are you calling me a villain?" My confusion must have been on my face because he goes on, "Don't you know; Villains are friends with the monsters." he then looks up at the tree in thought, then gave another little nod and chuckle at whatever it is that he was thinking of.

When he turns to me again, the smile is back in place, the mask once more covering everything in the up-turn of that lip. "I wouldn't call myself the villain, but I definitely I'm not the hero… let's just see what happens next."


End file.
